Herpes For newborns a deadly danger

Herpes: Baby dies a few days after an infection

06/12/2014

For some people, herpes is not a serious impairment of their lives. The herpes virus remains after an infection lifelong in the body, but many sufferers remain symptom-free. It is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems and for newborns. So also for a baby who recently died in Australia a short time after birth.

Viruses stay in the body for life
In some people who have been infected with herpes simplex virus, it comes to regular outbreaks of herpes in the mouth or other areas of the skin, such as the nose. The trigger for such outbreaks can be fever, stress, massive physical stress, disgust, anxiety, hormonal changes or a weakened immune system. Other people never suffer from symptoms after a first infection. And in the majority of those affected both the primary infection goes unnoticed and they remain free of symptoms even later, although the herpes virus remains lifelong in the body. In rare cases, such as in people with a weak immune system or in newborns, infection can be dangerous. Recently, a baby in Australia died a few days after birth from the consequences of a herpes infection.

Baby dies of a herpes infection
As „The Huffington Post“ reported lives the three-time mother Sarah Pugh in Australia and has lost in November just a few days old daughter Eloise, who died from the consequences of herpes infection. The tragic fate takes the mother now to the cause and warns other parents: herpes viruses can be fatal for newborns. Among other things, they can lead to viral meningitis. The little Eloise had been taken by her parents because of a sudden weight loss in a hospital, where the doctors first suspected a problem with food intake, the small then tested positive for the herpes virus. The baby had to be attached to machines and survived the hardships for a week until she became infected with staphylococci and died.

Mother wants to explain about the dangers
How the little girl was infected with the dangerous viruses is still unclear. On the part of the physicians, it was assumed that it had already come to an infection one or two days after the birth, but neither did the mother ever suffer from a form of herpes, nor did any of the visitors have acute cold sores. Thus, it is likely that the baby has infected the inventory or staff of the hospital. The mother explained to the „Daily Mail“, that she was stunned to have lost a healthy child within such a short time. Therefore, it is so dear to her heart, to educate about the dangers of herpes. So it is enormously important that parents pay attention to their personal hygiene and wash their hands regularly. In addition, they should pay attention to their own lips.

Keep distance to newborn
According to the doctors of the hospital, such an infection is very rare. Loud „The Huffington Post“ The New Zealand Organization for the Protection against Herpes also declared that only 0.1 percent of newborns in the US become infected each year. However, the risk should not be underestimated, since worldwide up to 90 percent of all people already had contact with the conventional viruses. In genital herpes it is 30 percent. The virus is transmitted to children most often at birth, when pregnant women are infected with genital herpes and the children have developed only a few antibodies. But it is also dangerous to kiss babies with a cold sore or come into contact with open spots on their skin. Therefore, among experts has long been the motto that those who suffer from herpes and cold sores, should keep distance to newborns. (Ad)