Don't Kiss Me: Baby Hospitalised After Kisses from Relative - December 2024

Babies are adorable; all you want to do is bury your face in their cheeks. But for new mums with fragile newborns fresh out the womb, maybe it’s time to halt the breaks on those clingy relatives. While we trust our blood family with our lives, danger lurks even in the friendliest faces, as one couple found out. Matthew and Daniella Dransfield, new parents from England, was shocked when their baby started showing rashes on his skin. Roman was barely five years old when he was rushed to the hospital where doctors were able to diagnose the condition; herpes. Not only was the baby premature, born four weeks too soon, he also had jaundice and was going through treatment when this happened. As relatives come and go to visit the new addition to the family, they would naturally kiss and hold the baby, leaving room for the virus to slip in in the form of an inactive cold sore infection. The parents didn’t even know who it was that passed the sickness to their child. Thankfully, doctors were able to catch the infection before it spread to his organs and little Roman Dransfield is expected to make full recovery soon. While this story did not end in tragedy, it paints a clear picture on the dangers of letting anyone, even close relatives kiss your baby. Babies and Kisses and Viral Infections People have been kissing babies for centuries, and yet this may be the first time you’re hearing about babies getting sick from a kiss. But Roman’s case is not uncommon at all. Another case was reported in 2019, and one more in 2020. So it’s actually not as rare as you may think. Thankfully all three babies survived their ordeals, although by the skin of their teeth. This shows us just how vulnerable babies are. In Roman’s case, he was premature with a weakened immune system. So that means he’s twice or even three times more likely to get sick. The doctors should know better than to let relatives in for visits. But how do you stop people from touching your baby without passing yourself off as a possessive new mother? This can be hard, because humans show affection and form bonds naturally through physical touch and kissing falls under this category. In fact we see in Malaysia, some mums not only allow their relatives to kiss their babies but strangers too. But you can’t know for sure what infections or diseases people may be carrying (that they may not even know themselves). So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Refrain from letting strangers or relatives kiss your baby if they’re younger than 6 months old. That said, always be sure that you yourself are free from infections. Always go to the doctor at the first sign of illness (fever, runny nose, rashes). Remember, you can be as much a danger to your newborn as the next person on the street. Diseases Passed Through Kisses Viruses and bacteria are resilient, they linger on surfaces for a long time. Passing from person to person through droplets, and of course skin-to-skin contact usually the hands. So most of the time, we can easily wash or sanitise our fingers and palms to curb the spread of infection. But can the same be said with our lips? Can we disinfect our smackers as easily as we do our digits? Not really, in fact, kissing, especially mouth-to-mouth kissing can make it all the more easier for infections to spread between people. That said when it comes to babies (newborns especially, younger than 6 months old), kissing should be prohibited. That said here are just some illnesses you can spread to a baby with a kiss, other than herpes: mononucleosis pink eye upper respiratory diseases (colds, influenza, covid) impetigo hand, foot and mouth disease chicken pox scabies polio rubella mumps This list is by no means exhaustive, which just shows there are definitely no shortages of dangers that can befall your baby from just one innocent peck on the cheek. Keep Those Lips to Yourself Babies are a precious gift, so it’s no wonder we prize them so much. Often showing our love with physical touch. But just to avoid more stories like this on the news, perhaps it’s time to set some boundaries, yes even with relatives. You don’t know where they’ve been and what they’ve touched. But this doesn’t mean no kisses forever and ever. Just until they’re old enough and their immune systems have grown a little bit stronger. While kisses may be prohibited instead, why not ask your relatives to give your baby a wave, or aa flying kiss instead? At least you’ll know there won’t be any germs that come with those. For more insightful stories and fun recipes, stay tuned to Motherhood Story!

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