When Barnsley was almost four weeks old, his mother, British Ashleigh White, noticed that his eyes suddenly turned red. The baby refused to eat, was sleepy and had a fever. Theyoung mothertook it straight to the hospital and had it examined. At first, doctors found it difficult to make a diagnosis. Luckily, Ashleigh had read warnings from other parents on Facebook and could guess what was making little Barnsley sick. A herpes infection that can be life-threatening for young babies.
In Great Britain and the USA, new parents have repeatedly reported in recent years about babies who were infected with the herpes virus through a kiss. A newborn was infected in the hospital, another infant was infected during a baptism, and a baby was visited and kissed by a relative with the virus. Doctors warn that the...Herpes Simplex Infectionis life-threatening for babies under one year old. The little ones' immune systems are not yet able to keep the virus in check. If not treated in time, herpes simplex can spread to the baby's organs. The disease can lead to blindness.
A study in Sweden showed thatthe diseasecan have terrible consequences. Of a total of 45 children with the virus, 12 died in the following 15 years, 13 of the children were severely mentally or physically disabled and 4 were mildly mentally or physically disabled.
Prevent herpes infection in babies
Doctors therefore advise parents of babies under 6 months to protect them from infection. It is best for people with an acute herpes infection not to have contact with the baby or at least to wear a face mask. If parents suffer from herpes, they should pay even more attention to hygiene and wash their hands before every contact with the baby. Regardless of whether you are infected or not, relatives and family friends are not allowed to kiss babies under one year old to be on the safe side.
Toder Studie der HuddingeUniversity in Sweden
