Young mum, Claire Henderson has shared the terrifying story of how her baby daughter, Brooke, became gravely ill after an affectionate kiss on the mouth.
“Please share this with every new mum and pregnant woman you know… COLD SORES CAN BE FATAL FOR A BABY. Before 3 months old a baby cannot fight the herpes virus. If a baby contracts this it can cause liver and brain damage and lead to death,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“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. I noticed the signs early and got her to A&E, we have now been in hospital on a drip for 3 days and have got another 2 to go. She was VERY lucky, all her tests came back clear.”
“The moral of the story is DO NOT let anyone kiss your newborns mouth, even if they don’t look like they have a cold sore – 85% of the population carry the virus. And if someone has a cold sore ask them to stay away until it has gone. Everyone who I have spoken to had not heard of this before and so I felt it was important to share Brooke’s story and raise awareness to stop anyone else going through what we have this week.”
In young babies the herpes virus can spread to the brain and other organs, causing serious, potentially permanent or even fatal damage.
‘This is a very unfortunate situation,’ Dr Peter Greenhouse, a consultant in sexual health based in Bristol and a representative of the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASSH) told Metro, ‘which was likely caused because Ms Henderson was one of the very few people who have never come into contact with the herpes virus.’
The doctor explained that if a mother has come into contact with the herpes virus then her baby will be immune for the first year after birth.
‘The reason 85 per cent of people have herpes is because they get it by being kissed by their parents when they are babies, but in most cases it doesn’t manifest in this way,’ he continued.
The doctor did state however that if someone has an obvious cold sore, do not to let them kiss your baby.
Image via Facebook
