Having a baby is such a happy occasion, all you want is to love,care and show off your precious bundle of joy...however amidst all the joy there is one very important thing that as a parent/or grandparent or even friend visiting that gorgeous baby for the 1st time should all know about......How a simple kiss can kill!
What am i talking about!?..... Cold Sores.... im sure a few of you may of heard it in the news recently however im still very shocked how many parents still know nothing of this...and worse its something midwifes/doctors ect should yet still dont inform you about..
Here are 2 news clippings i have read and you will find heartbreaking yet very factual to what i am talking about:
did i kill my baby with a kiss?
baby boy is killed by a loving dad's kiss
Herpes Simplex Virus...what exactly is it?
Herpes simplex virus(HSV) is a virus that usually causes skin infections. There are two types of HSV: HSV type 1 usually causes small blisters on the mouth,eye or lips(cold sores) and HSV type 2 usually affects the genital area. HSV infection in newborn babies can be very severe and can even cause death. This is because newborn's immune systems are not fully developed.
Newborns can sometimes get HSV-1 virus from close contact with someone who is shedding HSV-1 in their saliva(kiss) or has an active HSV-1 outbreak(cold sores)
I strongly urge anyone with a young baby to be extra cautious with who has close contact...it may seem silly or over the top to ask when people visit if they have or have just gotten rid of a cold sore before allowing direct close contact but as parents and those heart broken parents found out the hard way it really is better to be safe than sorry!!...
plz plz share this post to everyone you know whether they have kids or not to help share awareness and save future babies from meeting the same tragic yet preventable infection....
Any virus is going to be a risk for a newborn, and this one no exception. Well done on publishing the message. Will of course share on further.
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