The safety and security of the baby are the top priorities of almost every parent. Unfortunately, there are many parents that don’t pay much attention to this and they want their children to hang out with their children even if they have a bit of a cold, cough, and other seemingly benign health conditions.
However, this is wrong. In case your child is sick, don’t go out. Never send them to kindergarten. Don’t visit your friend’s house and expose their children to risk. Don’t kiss and cuddle other people’s children. You have germs and they will start spreading everywhere.
Think about the problems you can cause other parents.
There are many mothers and fathers who believe that this is not something serious and that most parents are just paranoid and overprotective and they consult doctors for no reason. You can often hear some parents blaming others that they want to keep their kids in a bubble and that they pay too much attention to germs.
However, once you hear this scary true story that happened to a mother in the UK you will change your opinion. Claire Henderson is a young mum from the UK and has a baby daughter Brooke.
After getting kissed in the mouth, the baby had to spend 5 days in the local hospital due to the herpes virus that spread from her lips to the chin and cheeks.
The good news is that she was extremely lucky. This type of virus can sometimes be lethal for babies that are three months old or younger. There was a recorded case of fatality due to this virus in Australia last year.
So, the point is to stop any person from kissing the mouth of your newborn baby even if the person appears completely healthy. Claire Henderson also advises people to keep their babies away from people who have a cold sore.
Of course, we are still puzzled why some people who are dealing with cold sore would visit a defenseless newborn without proper immunity in the first place. And why on earth would that person want to kiss the baby? Crazy isn’t it?
The newborn baby is without immunity to the majority of germs that adults bring with them everywhere they go. This situation lasts for 6 weeks. Even if we are talking about a sore on the lip or a runny nose which sound harmless they can be fatal to tiny babies.
So, next time you want to visit a baby that has still not turned 6 weeks and you are told to wait for a while, don’t get mad. This is not a common practice today, but it makes sense.
It is quite logical to wait for a while and avoid these serious situations like the one experienced by Claire Henderson.
Don’t judge parents who give extra protection to their children because they have every right to do this. Their babies are still very weak and can’t defend themselves, so they need their parent’s help.
It is your responsibility as a parent to provide that support and no one should make you feel uncomfortable because of that.
So, if you are looking for an answer, we will give you the answer – never kiss a newborn baby on the lips. Never let sick children close to your tiny baby. In case you are not immunized or your children are not immunized, don’t visit homes where new babies dwell.
There is no room to be extra polite when your kid’s life is at risk.
Via Pediatrics East | Daily Telegraph