To object to someone with a cold sore kissing my baby?

[Fluffycoffeemachine]

Ffs. A family member of mine who has a cold sore kissed my baby on the head. It was so quick I couldn't stop her! AiBu to think you just don't do That?

Im sorry. My post was really insensitive. Herpes 'gets in' through broken skin. My Ds busted his lip which is how i suspect it entered his blood stream. He's the picture of health now

In our family it’s always been the culture not to kiss babies on their faces, esp not near eyes, mouth, and not this kiss anyone other than partners on the mouth, because of the danger of cold sores and other infections. I know many people think we’re fussy and kiss others on the lips but I don’t think it’s worth the risk, especially not where children are concerned. No one in our extended family gets cold sores.
I remember my mother first telling me why to avoid kissing thus when I was about 9 years old and that was way back in the 50s
I’m sorry you’ve been caused anxiety OP. Maybe you can tell your family Emma’s you had a scare recently and that it’s now the rule that baby should not be kissed until he is older and stronger and no kissing on the face ever.

OP,
I have kids with eczema and when one of them was exposed to herpes I got the GP to prescribe oral acyclovir as a potential preventative. (He didn't develop any cold sores himself despite rolling around in a ball pit and then living with his infected sibling.) I had to read out Nice guidelines and throw my toys out of the pram first though.

But I think you'll be fine as it was on the head. Plus most people have been exposed to the virus, so baby is probably carrying your immunity, even if you've never had a cold sore.

That is really poor form. My DH and I have cold sores time to time and we are super careful not to kiss our DC, or share anything that could pass the virus on when we have one.

My dad gets cold sores and will only "air kiss" his grandchildren even when he has not got a cold sore. I would be fuming

Are you BFing? My kids developed cold sores for the first time ever when baby was one week old! I was freaking out but the HV said if I was breastfeeding he would have all my immunity even though I’ve never had any. Ive been on the watch for symptoms but he’s been fine and it was hard to stop them touching him etc.

Hello OP.
I’m sure you’re very worried and I understand why.
As someone who had a DS who picked up enteroviral meningitis at 6 weeks, the only symptoms that he had initially was a high fever.
The GP saw him when it was 38C and advised if it reached 39C to go straight to a&e
So even if there are no other signs of anything, if your baby gets any level of fever, have them seen ASAP.
Don’t wait for it to reach 39. If it hits 38 (at your baby’s age) I would take them to a&e.
Here are the NHS Nice guidelines that show that a baby under 3 months with a fever of 38 is considered high risk

I think my MIL did this last weekend! She had been holding my 10 month old baby for a couple of hours and then mentioned she and her dh both have cold sores (in a 'what a coincidence!' sort of way!) I said 'make sure you don't kiss baby!' And she said she hadn't. Not sure that was true as I had seen her kiss 6 year old stepson that day which I mentioned. She said 'oh it's fine' as though I was being dramatic. I knew it was wrong and this thread confirms it!

Just to add Tom my earlier post, when my 6 wk DS had meningitis, his white blood cell count indicated that he might have the cold sore virus.
He didn’t thankfully, but the info I was given by the doctors for him were -
The cold sore virus is mainly only potentially fatal for babies under 6 months. Over 6 months and it’s not pleasant but okay.
With regards to immunity- I was told my child could have immunity but only if I had the cold sore, and while I was pregnant (if I remember correctly) If it was anyone else, even family members, then the risk was still there.