Health Hazard Herpes Kiss almost killed a year old baby

Almost killed by a kiss: baby was fighting for his life because of herpes

In Britain, a one-year-old baby almost died because she had been infected with a herpesviral kiss. The child had to be hospitalized for four days. The parents now warn other people to kiss toddlers on the mouth.

Little girl had purple rashes everywhere

A one-year-old girl from the North English town of Darlington almost died because she was infected with herpes viruses. At first the parents did not realize what their child was missing. "Kaylah cried so much, I knew it could only mean she was in pain," the mother told The Daily Mail. "We were home and I was about to put her in the bathtub when I suddenly saw traces on her legs." According to the information, the baby had violet rashes all over the place. "I was scared that my first thought was that it had something to do with meningitis because she had it before," said the mother. In the hospital, however, it turned out that the child had been infected with herpesviruses.

In England, a one-year-old baby would have almost died from an infection with herpes viruses. Parents and health experts warn against kissing toddlers from others. (Image: Robert Przybysz / fotolia.com)

Two out of three people are infected with herpesviruses

Health experts say two in three people are infected with herpes viruses.

But most people who get infected with it never show symptoms and probably do not know they are infected. Therefore, cold sores are often transmitted unnoticed.

The viruses are often active only by certain influences such as stress or strong sunlight and cause, among other things, herpes in the mouth.

For some people special care is needed. Adult cold sores should be very careful when in contact with small children.

Because even a kiss from them can end up deadly for babies, as an older case from the USA showed.

Even the little Kaylah from England was brought into a life-threatening situation.

Infection could have ended fatally

According to the Daily Mail report, the doctors at the hospital found that the painful purple rash in small Kaylah was caused by the herpes simplex virus.

"The doctors told us that someone with a cold sore must have kissed her lips, and because the baby's immune system is not strong enough, she developed the rash," said the 22-year-old mother.

Her fiancé was shocked and "could not believe that it was all because of a kiss."

The little girl had to stay at the hospital for four days, where she was treated with antibiotics.

The doctors pointed out that the baby was lucky that the infection could have ended fatally.

"If we had not gone to the hospital quickly, it could have been very dangerous if we could have lost her," said the young mother.

According to the parents, her daughter has still not quite recovered. One month after discharge from the clinic, she still has to take medication daily and be taken to the doctor once a week.

Warning of the parents

Little Kaylah's parents now turn to the public to warn other people of the risk.

"I just want other parents to know that you do not have to be physically ill to harm a baby - you can only be a carrier of the virus and still influence it," said the mother.

According to the newspaper report, the virus can be transmitted to the mother in infants, either by a kiss or in newborns if she had genital herpes for the first time in the last six weeks of pregnancy.

The risk is significantly reduced if she had it before pregnancy as she passed on the antibodies needed to fight it.

It is not the first time that parents, many of whom have lost their babies, have issued the warning that strangers are not allowed to kiss the babies.

"Please do not kiss other people's babies," said Marian Nicholson of the Herpes Viruses Association.

Treat herpes as early as possible

If the infection is known, adults will be advised by health care professionals to treat cold sores as early as possible. But what helps against herpes?

In normal course, drugs are often used to inhibit the virus multiplication. The infection does not always have to be treated with antiviral drugs.

Sometimes, home remedies for herpes, such as manuka honey or tea tree oil. From the herpes outbreak to the healing can take up to two weeks. (Ad)