MIL kissed 6 month old with cold sore

[Dancingmum2416]

I am so furious and feel sick with worry, we said straight away and she said she was so sorry she forgot. It was on his cheek, the cold sore wasn’t on her lip it was just a bit below her nose. I am so annoyed.

How likely is it he’ll get it and if so get really sick??

Ahhh this would annoy me so much :( he'll probably be okay if it was on the nose! X

It will probably be alright just on his cheek. Did you clean his skin ? If it were me I would just have a rule no one kisses my baby at all

I can't answer your question but just wanted to say I'd be angry and worried in your position too.

At least 6 months is not quite newborn so even if he got ill, he's got a bit of robustness compared to a newborn. But I'd feel the same as you

On his cheek and not on her lip, it's probably OK. I assume you cleaned his cheek.

No kisses at all in future. You can shed the virus while not being symptomatic so just have a hard rule.

My DH gets cold sores. He’s so careful when he has one that even after 30 years together and 3 children he’s still the only person that gets them in the family.

HOW the fuck did she forget? Careless cow!

I could have written that. DH is the only one in the house who gets coldsores and he is so, so careful when he has them. The three kids 17, 14 and 12 and I have managed to not get them.

She forgot cause she's from a generation that didn't wrap kids in cotton wool.

Did you know that young babies can die from the coldsore virus?

Coincidence then that child mortality rates have dropped?

As an example, according to Parliamentary records, infant mortality (death of child before its first birthday) in the UK in 1980, was 12 per 1,000 live births. In 2022 (the most recent data set available) it was 3.9.

Go back to 50s (courtesy of Statista) and the rate was 31.7 per 1,000 live births. By 1970 that had dropped to 19.

So maybe it's less about wrapping babies in cotton wool, and more about understanding and being vigilant whilst their immature and tiny immune systems are developing?

Even if it wasn't a serious infection no one wants their baby contracting an incurable permanent virus just for the sake of people getting to kiss them

That’s so thoughtless & selfish if her. No useful information to give, just angry on your behalf.

Hope your little one is Ok.

Yeah, that’s the generation that brought me up. I wanted to do better.

At six months it will probably just be a coldsore (and the virus) he gets but it isn't guaranteed. She forgot, forgive her. I get them rarely and none of the rest of my immediate family have caught them. They are an occasional annoyance to me, often coming in times of high stress but I can go years without one.

A cold sore infection can be very serious for some (especially on first infection). My daughter became very unwell the first time after she was infected. Subsequent outbreaks have been very unpleasant and upsetting for her.

There seem to be a lot of people around who don't give two fucks about infecting other people with the germs.

Fingers crossed, OP, that your little one is OK.