It's hard to resist kissing and cuddling adorable babies.
When my niece was born, everyone had to wash their hands before holding her. My sister even had a "no kissing" policy that lasted for a year.
It felt extreme at the time, but she argued that it would protect her child from contracting a potentially dangerous virus or bacteria.
The reality is that newborns are more susceptible to getting sick, and it takes time for their immunity to develop.
One mother learned the hard way after someone's kiss left her son with strange bumps on his head...
Rhian Brace from England told CafeMom that she welcomed her first child with excitement.
After suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis, she was told that she might never be able to conceive naturally.
She defied all odds and conceived a baby boy named Ernie.
Two weeks after her miracle, the mother noticed a red bump on her baby's head.
"Ernie didn't have a temperature, his nappies hadn't changed, he was feeding as he had been for the two weeks he had been at home. The only indication I had that he wasn't well was one tiny blister like spot on the back of head," she explained in a viral Facebook post.
After she bathed Ernie, she noticed that blister had popped, and puss was coming out.
"I cleaned the area and re-washed his head/hair just in case it was infectious."
When she visited a doctor to get to the bottom of it, she was told that Ernie had a case of eczema, which was nothing to worry about.
"Three days later another four [blisters] had appeared and then over night another six had made an appearance, all looking like infected blisters."
Brace knew it had to be something more serious than eczema, and before things took a sudden turn for the worst, Ernie was rushed to hospital.
"Three days into our stay we finally had a diagnosis - Herpes simplex virus, sometimes known as a common cold sore."
This virus is easily treatable in children and adults, but could be deadly in babies if not treated straight away.
"It is just as deadly as meningitis in babies ... because it starts to attack their brain, lungs and other vital organs," the mother explained.
Brace decided to share her story on Facebook to raise awareness about the potential dangers of a seemingly innocent kiss.
"Just remember that when being around a newborn, personal hygiene is everything, remember to keep your hands clean, don't kiss and respect the wishes of parents."
Fortunately, Ernie is on the path to recovery.
"[He] has almost finished the course of IV anti viral medicine, but he isn't out of the woods yet, we still have to continue a six month course of oral medicine at home to make sure the virus has been completed killed and numerous follow up appointments," Brace reported.
"We have been told that if Ernie gets to his 1st birthday and the virus has not come back or showed anymore signs then the virus that has hospitalized him for the first weeks of his life has been completely killed."
First of all I want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the well wishes, kind words and love sent to my little...
Posted by Rhian Brace on Monday, September 24, 2018
[H/T: CafeMom]
