Dangers of Coldsores for Newborns (Warning content may disturb)

[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?

[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!

[Schmickers]

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...

Exactly what I was about to post, Deb.I am very suspicious of the quote in this story about most doctors not knowing the risk of an HSV infection in a newborn. It is simply not true - every nurse and doctor I have worked with in paediatrics knows of the dangers...

[jemima]

This is such a sad story.

I have had bouts of terrible coldsores on my face for as long as I can remember. They seem to surface when I am run down or stressed but I wasnt aware that some form of immunity would be transferred to my children through the umbilical cord. I know I had at least one bout of coldsores throughout each of my pregnancies so I am hoping that this means the children wont suffer from them.

I am super careful around the children when I have a coldsore - like I mean over the top washing of hands and I dont let them lie on my pillow, no kisses (which is hard although they know if I have a coldsore not to get too close to it). So far so good because I would hate for them to go through the horrible pain of coldsores.