The NHS website carries a warning to parents with a cold sore to be careful when kissing their baby due to the risk of neonatal herpes.
It details the possible risks of neonatal herpes in a young baby. Experts said the younger the baby the more vulnerable they are to the harmful effects of the infection.
This is due to a baby's immune system not being fully developed enough to fight off the virus. Neonatal herpes, which is rare in the UK, is caused by the herpes simplex virus. This virus is much more common and causes cold sores and genital ulcers in adults.
READ MORE: Dad whose cold sore kiss killed son launched vile attack on ex partner
The ECHO reported this week that Carl Maclaren, who was in court after launching a vile attack on his ex-partner, had unwittingly passed on the herpes simplex virus to his premature infant son. The baby died of multiple organ failure at the age of two months in 2012.
The baby's life support was switched off after struggling for six weeks in hospital. Maclaren, of Hicks Road, Seaforth, was jailed on Wednesday, October 5 for three years after he pleaded guilty to burglary and attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on former partner Clare McCormick.
The herpes simplex virus can be passed to a baby if a person has a cold sore and kisses the baby. The baby is most at risk of getting a herpes infection in the first four weeks after birth.
The NHS said: "You should not kiss a baby if you have a cold sore to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Cold sores and other blisters caused by the herpes virus are at their most contagious when they burst. They remain contagious until completely healed."
The virus can also be spread to your baby if you have a blister caused by herpes on your breast and you feed your baby with the affected breast or expressed breast milk. A baby is most at risk of getting a herpes infection in the first four weeks after birth.
What are the warning signs in babies?
Because newborn babies have underdeveloped immune systems, they can quickly become seriously ill after catching the virus.
Call a GP or contact 111 straight away if your baby:
- is lethargic or irritable
- is not feeding
- has a high temperature (fever) – find out how to take your baby's temperature
- has a rash or sores on the skin, eyes and inside the mouth
These are early warning signs that your baby may be unwell.
Call 999 immediately if your baby:
- is lacking in energy (listless)
- is becoming floppy and unresponsive
- is difficult to wake up from sleep
- has breathing difficulties or starts grunting
- breathes rapidly
- has a blue tongue and skin (cyanosis) – if they have brown or black skin this may be easier to see on their lips, tongue and gums, under their nails and around their eyes
Very often the baby will not have any specific herpes symptoms, such as a rash. But they can become unwell very quickly, so you need to act fast.
How is neonatal herpes treated?
Neonatal herpes is usually treated with antiviral medicines given directly into the baby's vein (intravenously). This treatment may be needed for several weeks.
Any related complications, such as fits (seizures), will also need to be treated. You can breastfeed your baby while they're receiving treatment, unless you have herpes sores around your nipples. If you are taking antiviral treatment too, this can be excreted in your breast milk, but is not thought to cause any harm to your baby.
How serious is herpes for a baby?
Sometimes neonatal herpes will only affect the baby's eyes, mouth or skin. In these cases, most babies will make a complete recovery with antiviral treatment.
But the condition is much more serious if it has spread to the baby's organs. Many infants with this type of neonatal herpes will die, even after they have been treated. If widespread herpes is not treated immediately, there's a high chance the baby will die.
How can neonatal herpes be prevented?
If you're pregnant and have a history of genital herpes, tell your doctor or midwife. You may need to take medicine during the last month of pregnancy to prevent an outbreak of vaginal sores during labour.
Delivery by caesarean section is recommended if the genital herpes has occurred for the first time in the last 6 weeks of your pregnancy. If you develop a cold sore or have any signs of a herpes infection, take these precautions:
- do not kiss any babies
- wash your hands before contact with a baby
- wash your hands before breastfeeding
- cover up any cold sores, lesions or signs of a herpes infection anywhere on your body to avoid passing on the virus
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