Dangers of Coldsores for Newborns (Warning content may disturb)

[Nai]

I read this article below and it made me wonder how many of us are actually aware of the dangers of coldsores (or herpes virus) for newborns.

Personally I only found out about it during this pregnancy when I got a coldsore and was looking up information about what I could take for it. One of the sites that I was looking at also outlined the dangers for newborns - which was fortunate as I was going to visit a friend who had just had a baby. I quickly cancelled with her but the article below made me wonder - is this something that is generally well known and if not, why not?

Baby died after contracting herpes

A BRITISH mother is devastated after her newborn daughter died from the herpes virus, possibly passed on with a kiss when she had a cold sore.

Charlotte Raveney, 32, and her husband Mohamed, 28 lost their baby Mira to the herpes simplex virus-1, the same virus that causes the common cold sore, at just 10 days old

Mira's birth, at a healthy 8lb last November, coincided with Ms Raveney getting her first ever cold sore, Ms Raveney told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.

She had never had one and asked her midwife if it was dangerous but was reassured it was nothing to worry about.

"The midwife said it had probably happened because I was run down after the birth and wasn't getting much sleep," Ms Raveney told the paper.

She was discharged from hospital four days after giving birth and went home with Mira to Tonbridge in Kent.

But four days later, Mira became ill. Ms Raveney and her husband rushed her to hospital but doctors could not save her.

Five weeks later they learned that Mira had the herpes virus and no antibodies to protect her.

"'As it was my first ever cold sore, her tiny body was unprotected," Ms Raveney said.

"If I'd had a cold sore before, I would have developed some sort of immunity to the virus and this would have been passed to Mira through the placenta," she said.

'It was just incredibly bad luck that my first ever infection coincided with the birth, and I unknowingly transmitted the virus to her in the first few days of her life."

There was no way to tell whether the virus was definitely passed on by her.

Up to 85 per cent of the British population carry the virus and it could have been passed on by her husband or someone else in the hospital who was carrying the virus.

Ms Raveney said Mira's life could have been saved if doctors had known what they were treating.

But she said most of them weren't aware of the danger of this virus to newborn babies.

"We've been amazed at how little is known about this, even by some of the top medical experts we've contacted since losing Mira," she said.

"Apparently, babies are most at risk from this virus during the first six weeks of their life because of their poor immunity. If doctors had known that this was my first ever cold sore, Mira could have been given anti-viral drugs to ensure that the damage was caught and the virus didn't spread.".

[Indadhanu]

If doctors had known that this was my first ever cold sore, Mira could have been given anti-viral drugs to ensure that the damage was caught and the virus didn't spread

So if the mum has had a cold sore before then its not as dangerous? Cos I just had a cold sore (didn't kiss her though, that was very hard! and washed hands constantly etc) but it was by no means my first one, so jazz wouldnt have been at a high risk?

[visitor1]

DH read this to me yesterday and i was shocked...i knew that they were dangerous..but i never thought death would happen

RIP little Mira

[~Trish~]

Oh how tragic .

We once had a midwife tell us of a newborn that was kissed in hospital by a vistor with a coldsore, the poor baby caught one from that person. That bub now has the virus for life. I would be so angry.

[feeb]

a few months ago my mil came over with a cold sore and got ****ty with me when i told her she wasnt touching jacob!!! DH also got ****ty with me about not letting his mum touch jacob after i foound out he could not grasp concept that i donr get cold sores and neither does he and i dont want our son getting them.

A kind bb member sent me link yesterday to this article to show dh and mil.

RIP little Mira

[briggsy's girl]

i'm one of those poor sods that got kissed as an infant by a grandmother with a cold sore - now whenever i'm stressed or getting unwell, out they come. so far i've only had a mild swelling since pg, so i'm hoping i'm strong enough (immunity-wise) to keep them at bay.

from what i read in that article - parents who are already infected will pass a degree of immunity to their child - is that right? as i said, i've had this virus forever, and would hate to unknowingly pass it to a young bubba (first day i never really notice them - i don't always get that "tingling" feelin - i usually wake with the swelling in the morning...)

[Arimeh]

Holy moly.. that poor little bub...
And the guilt that that poor mother would be feeling... geezzzz

[Gigi]

i think there is a damm good reason why new mums are called "overprotective" - you HAVE to be! for your bub!

i must admit, i find it hard NOT to kiss babies, but i will re-think this now, cos i get coldsores, and i woulnd't want to make a baby get a coldsore.

i am not sure (after reading this) whether you could only pass the coldsores onto a baby is you were experiencing an outbreak that day, or whether you could pass it on any time to a baby. so for now, until i know for sure, i will stop kissing bubs. :sad: i am so damm clucky it will be hard!! but i would never want to endanger a bub (now that this has been brought to my attention).

[Liz]

Wouldn't she have been making antibodies in her breastmilk?

Poor little bubba. Such a tragic outcome for a seemingly simple thing

[briggsy's girl]

i just did a bit of a google search - if the initial infection occurs in the third tri (so birth would be in here) the body doesn't have time to make antibodies against the virus, so nothing to transfer to bubba. initial infection can be up to 21 days before the body is able to fight it into remission - due to the bubba having no immunity, it is possible that the infection became a meningitis type infection...

it's so very sad that something that so many of us take as just a "part of life" is possibly so deadly to a newborn bubba. definitely gives me a question or five to ask the doctors before the Gremlin arrives..

[Inanna]

This is a sad and alarming story... Fly safely little Mira...

Just for some facts and perspective:

Babies have an imprint of protection so to speak frm their mothers. So if a mother has had measles - the baby whilst inutero and whilst breastfeeding will develop a level of immunity. If the virus was contracted during pregnancy obviously this could harm the baby AND if an infection is contracted in the latter stages of pregnancy it MAY not give enough time for this to transfer to protection of the child.

Herpes Simplex is usually a very low risk infection EXCEPT in the immuno suppressed / infants/ elderly.

A person with Herpes simplex should be and IS excluded from maternity/oncology/palliative wards. This virus can be deadly to these people. (sadly as illustrated by this death).

If you have a history of "cold sores" then your baby will be offered that imprint of protection - especially if a baby is breastfed.

If you don't it is wise to keep visitors away from a baby if they have an active HS lesion. Leasha you are right to wash hands and not touch your face or put Jazzy to yours. She is breastfed and has tht protection that a mothr transfers to her baby.

Whilst it is a worry this is a very rare and tragic example of what CAN but mostly doesn't happen generally.

[saslia]

Poor Family.

When DS was born DD had a rash, not a coldsore. on the side of her mouth. We were warned, very nicely, by the midwife to try to avoid DD getting to close to him. (I have coldsores several times a year so I guess DS would have had some form of immunity.) So some midwives are aware of the dangers, which is a good thing, and now I am sure many others are.

[Inanna]

All midwives & nurses are very aware of this danger that is why I find it so odd that this has happened. Just wondering if there is a little more to the story...

[sangie]

We were warned about this at our prenatal classes otherwise I would never have known. Poor family, I can't imagine what they went through.

[*Efjay*]

So I wonder if she was breastfeeding would have she passed on antibodies her body would have been makin to fight the new coldsore & then maybe protected bub?

[Inanna]

No FJ not if she had never had an infection before - just to illustrate.

5 days before her birth she uses a shopping trolley. The person who just parked it had a coldsore - coughed into her hands and then put her hands on the trolley handle. Miras Mama comes along and uses the trolley... Gets an itch on her face and viola - virus is live and has found another source...
This virus incubates in Miras Mama - Mira births her baby and that morning she finds her mouth tight and buring - later on a sore erupts. Her baby is born - Miras mother kisses her and loves her up... The virus has found another host. But this host has no antibodies to protect her - it takes months to build up antibodies sadly Mira doesn't have enough fight in her - and the medical staff didn't cotton on to what was up...

So breastfeeding affords protection but as I said in my previous post ONLY if the mother has prior exposure... Maybe tghere would be a minute amount of conversion occuring but not enough,,,

[Nai]

All midwives & nurses are very aware of this danger that is why I find it so odd that this has happened. Just wondering if there is a little more to the story...

This happened in England and I know they use a lot of agency nurses in the NHS so maybe there isn't the same consistency of knowledge amongst the midwives there?

[boomba]

How scary!
I contracted Hpv 1(cold sores) I think when i was in the second trimester. I was told through a letter sent to me by the scan place and I cried for hours cause I thought DH was cheating lol!
My mum has always had cold sores but I have never had them.I thik tis is where I caught it form? I was not told once that this could cause my baby to die! Why was I not told this!!!!
Myles was about 3 months old I think ( I posted a thread about it) when I got my very first and only cold sore! I was so worried! He has never had one though.

I will be extra extra careful if I get one again!