The impact of herpes simplex virus on the fetus is serious and multifaceted and should be given adequate attention. Herpes simplex virus is a contagious disease that can be transmitted in many ways. In addition to direct contact, respiratory and sexual contact, there is another important way of transmission, which is the direct transmission of the virus from the infected pregnant woman to the fetus through the placenta, resulting in fetal viral infection, that is, vertical transmission, and also the upward transmission of the virus from the infected pregnant woman through the cervix to the uterine cavity, resulting in intrauterine infection of the fetus. In conclusion, a fetus infected with herpes simplex virus is prone to fetal viraemia, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, congenital malformations, intrauterine growth retardation and preterm birth, and can also be insidiously infected and in a persistent state of pending disease.