Should You Let
People Kiss Your Baby? One Mom Doesn't Think So
One baby's harrowing battle with the herpes simplex 1 virus is making some
new parents reconsider just how close visitors should get to their newborns.
Like most new moms I know, I stocked up on hand sanitzers and antibacterial
soaps after my baby was born. For myself and my husband, yes, but also for the
scores of visitors who streamed through our apartment hoping to snuggle and
smooch our brand-new son. Because when we brought our boy home from the
hospital, I suddenly became aware of just how germy our little world was.
Turns out, clean hands may not have been the only thing I should have been
worried about. A mom in the U.K. recently posted a frightening story on Facebook that's making some new parents reconsider just
how close visitors should get to their newborns.
The scary saga began earlier this month, when family and friends stopped by
Claire Henderson's home to visit her 1-month-old daughter, Brooke. When one of
the visitors kissed the little girl's face, they unknowingly transmitted the
herpes simplex virus 1 to her. While the virus is mostly annoying in
adults—usually cold sores around the mouth, if anything—it can be devastating,
sometimes even fatal, for very young newborns. If left unchecked, this very
common but highly contagious virus can cause severe infections; brain, lung and
liver disease; and sores on the skin and eyes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In fact, the new parents didn't realize what was going on until one night,
when they noticed Brooke had a cold sore around her mouth and swollen lips.
Henderson remembered an article a friend sent her months ago about the
dangers of cold sores in babies and whisked her kiddo to the hospital. Doctors
there confirmed the infant had herpes simplex virus 1—there were also sores in
the back of her throat—but luckily, tests ruled out any damage to the brain or
liver. After five days on an anti-viral drip, Brooke was able to return home.
Still, Henderson is quick to point out that the story could have ended
another way had she not read that article. "It could have easily spread
and—worst case—been fatal," she told BuzzFeed
Which is why she posted the story and photos on Facebook—to educate
parents, not scare them. "I know this sounds like I am scaremongering but
if my friend had not told me about this my baby girl could have been very
seriously ill," she wrote. The post has since gone viral, racking up more
than 46,000 shares at the time of this writing.
Though the odds of a visitor transmitting the virus to your child are
fairly low—in most cases, the mother passes antibodies on to her baby in
utero—the fact is, herpes simplex virus 1 has claimed lives. Luckily, you can lower your child's
odds by asking guests to always wash their hands before and after touching the baby.
During the first month of life, also ask visitors to avoid kissing around your
infant's mouth and eye area. And request that people with cold sores steer
clear of your kiddo until the lesions are gone.
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