Whilst coldsores may not prove to be a significant health problem for adults, babies, particularly those under the age of 6 weeks, have weaker immune systems, meaning that the herpes virus can cause complications including brain and liver damage. When her newborn, Brooke, ended up with a top high temperature, Henderson required the newborn towards the emergency room to be on the take special care.
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Cold sores, for the unfamiliar, are the physical symptoms of HSV-1, the oral herpes virus.
It’s so hard to imagine a baby suffering from a herpes virus because of a sweet gesture.
She continued: “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”.
Claire Henderson posted her plea to Facebook after noticing while feeding baby Brooke, that the baby had cold sores and blisters around her lips and on her face.
“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”.
New mother Claire Henderson took to Facebook to warn her friends about this unforeseen danger, after her newborn daughter Brooke contracted cold sores that left her hospitalized for five days.
Claire finished: “She was VERY lucky, all her tests came back clear”. Every now and then people usually get a cold sore that ends up going away in a few days. Something about kissing babies just seems to make a person super affectionate, even politicians use it on the campaign trail.
“I’ve read other stories where there have been babies who die from the herpes virus”.
NYU pediatrician Julie G. Capiola told Yahoo! In fact both HSV-1 and HSV-2 (the virus that causes genital herpes) can be passed on from a mother to her baby during childbirth.
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Her post has been shared over 36,000 times and Claire says that she hopes “it has raised awareness and can help other parents recognise the signs”.
