Cold sores and newborn

[Cardiffclare88]

My DSIL has cold sores, she gets them throughout the year. I’ve just had a baby and she’s coming to meet DD Soon. Would you ask your family/friend not to touch or kiss your baby if you knew they had cold sores? Or will they know well enough not to? What is the chance of DD getting cold sores from DSIL? Me and DH have never had any.

She should know herself not to kiss, but a reminder wouldn’t hurt.

I get coldsores and no babies I know ever have. I wash my hands before I go near the baby, I do not kiss the baby even if I have no coldsores at present and I don't touch my mouth and then touch baby without washing hands.

Maybe I am a bit OTT but I have them since I was a child and my mam reckons its her own fault so I am so careful about them!

I would defiantly say it to her nicely, she should understand and not be offended. Babies can react very bad to them, if she does get offended show her some pics.

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No kissing baby when you have a cold sore. It's the herpes virus and can be dangerous for little ones. metro.co.uk/2018/09/07/newborn-nearly-dies-after-catching-herpes-through-cold-sore-kiss-of-death-7922439/

I'd have a word with her before she comes so you don't have to say anything in front of other people. Babies who have died from this virus are regularly in the news so she may already be aware. I'd be asking her to wash her hands and no kisses. Congratulations on your baby

Gosh I didn’t realise it could be so dangerous Any suggestions for saying something to her? A text before she comes or should I wait until she’s here? She’s travelling a bit to see DD. Would hate for her to come with a sore and be told she can’t hold the baby. We get along but aren’t that close. She Had a bit of a row with DH last year not sure he wants to get into it again with her.

A cold sore could become meningitis for a baby. She wouldn’t be setting foot in my house with a cold sore let alone touching my baby!

Just be straightforward- no apologies. Your baby comes first. Is she dh sis? If so, he needs to call her and say not to come unless 100% well, and that means NO coldsores too as the virus for that causes meningitis in babies

Yes, Dh sis. Coming in to London from Wales for the weekend

There is no problem holding the baby. Just speak to her when she comes down, it’s not a massive big deal and she will no doubt understand.

I am quite a relaxed mum but someone with a cold sore would not be welcome visiting my newborn baby. There will be other chances to meet him/her. It’s a virus you have for life if you get it, and it can kill a baby.

need My husband suffers from them. He would have had to have moved out if he couldn’t be in the house with a new born.

Has she actually got a cold sore? Either way she shouldn’t be kissing a newborn (no one should) but the majority of the population carry the cold sore virus.
I get cold sores and have never passed them on to my children. I am extremely careful when I have an outbreak.

I take L Lyscine which keeps them at bay. Personally if I knew my sister was prone to cold sores I would tell her to start taking it now so she didn't have a cold sore when she came to see my baby - but I am close to my sister.

Just have a talk with her before she comes and say how you have just read a horrible story about a baby getting cold sores and how you don't want anyone with active cold sores near your new born. That way its not directed at her either.??

She absolutely should not even visit you if she has an open cold sore they are very dangerous and can be fatal. A third of babies, where the virus spreads to their organs, will die. www.nhs.uk/conditions/neonatal-herpes/

I would ask her to wash hands first and not kiss the baby at all even if she doesn't have a visible sore. If that's awkward just say it's the same rules for all visitors.

I would just say that u dont want people kissing your baby, im sure she would be ok with that most people dont let people kiss babies.

@Nicknacky obviously your DH couldn’t not be there for your newborn. But as the father he would be incredibly careful.

If someone has a cold sore and isn’t a parent I don’t think they should visit. My MIL insisted on visiting my newborn with a cold sore. She could have come as soon as it went, but she was adamant, and was extremely put out when I told her to be careful. People just don’t get it.

We don’t even know the aunt has an active cold sore.

If someone has a cold sore and isn’t a parent I don’t think they should visit

The OP didn’t say that she has a cold sore.

Actually, what difference does it make if it is dad or aunt that suffers? The infection isn’t any less potentially serious if it’s mum or dad that has them.

As long as people use common sense and are careful then banning them from a house isn’t necessary.

I get cold sores and even when I don't currently have an outbreak I'm really paranoid about passing it on to my newborn. So I don't kiss her on the face and try to remember not to touch my mouth when handling her. It is dangerous if passed on, but that said, I think common sense is fine and there's no need to be OTT. posters saying she shouldn't even be allowed in the house are a bit OTT IMO. Would I be banished from my own child, who I breastfeed, if I came out in a sore??! No, of course not, I'd just need to be extra vigilant. Nurses working in NICUs still have to work even when suffering, they just take special due care. I think it's perfectly fine to just tell her not to kiss the baby and wash hands first (which should be common practise for anyone visiting a newborn anyway!)

The baby can catch them without her even having a visible sore. I have a no one kisses baby full stop rule.
A couple people were confused but it is in his best interest. If needs be explain that your baby will know love from hugs and time spent.

I had a very awkward conversation with my MIL about this. She came to see my DD when she was a few weeks old and was already holding her when she told me she had a cold sore. I wanted to snatch her back to be honest but controlled myself enough to make an excuse to take her back and didn’t hand her back when requested. She was very offended and it took a stern talking to from DH for her to see what our concerns were. My point of view is, why take the risk?

My DD gets cold sores. My MIL kissed her when she was a baby, when my MIL had an obvious cold sore.

This despite my MIL being a retired midwife and, just before said kiss, saying, ‘I mustn’t kiss DD, I have a cold sore’. Complete stupidity and selfishness.

Wish I’d known about mumsnet then, I’d have been ranting away!