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