Cold Sore Anxiety

[Raisingalittleone]

Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all keeping well during this crazy world.
This is my first post on Mumsnet. I was wondering if anyone could please provide any advice and reassurance.
I have been terrified of having a cold sore since having my son. He is now 15 months. I have a cold sore or two come out tonight. I can't describe to you how much this fills me with fear and anxiety.
I am terrified of my son catching it from me and becoming really sick.
Can anyone please help me:
Does anyone else get cold sores and how have you avoided passing them on to your child?
Does anyone have a child who gets cold sores and how have they been?
I'm terrified that he gets it from me. I haven't kissed him since he was very little as I'm so frightened. He does get lots of hugs don't worry.
I can't sleep tonight as I'm terrified.
I'm worried the virus will be on my clothes if they touched my face or spread onto my skin if I've touched my face.
My son is so so active and I'm worried he hits me in the face when playing, which happens daily.
I've been in tears all night and feel ill with worry.
Can anyone please help?
Thanks xxxx

I get cold sores when I am stressed or run down. Apart from when my DCs were very small (like, teeny newborn), or when I had an active cold sore I never worried about passing it on to them and they never got it. But I appreciate you are anxious about this. I would get one of the blistex cold sore patches so you don't worry so much and you know it's covered. I don't think it would make a 15 month old very sick even if they did get it. And when the cold sore is gone, kiss your lovely baby all you like!

Thank you so much for your reply. Can I ask you a few questions please, did you end up being able to avoid passing it on to your children/child? Did you do anything in particular... or just avoid kissing them and wash your hands? Yes thank you I have bought the plasters to put on. I'm trying to be logical but it terrifies me the thought of my son getting one.

Thanks x

My two youngest have both caught cold sores.
My middle child was quite ill and hospitalised but he is on immunosuppressive medicine. He was 3.
My then 2 year old just got a temperature for 2 days and a few sores on his lips.
Both still get them now. The immune suppressed child has to take medication when it flares up but my youngest who is now 4, is totally fine and just has a sore like adults do.

And just so you are aware, you can pass the virus WITHOUT having a sore.
Your baby is not newborn and will almost certainly be fine if he catches it.

Thank you for your reply. Sorry to hear your children get them but I'm glad they are ok. Bloody awful things.
Yes I read that somewhere which is why I don't ever kiss him anyway. I just hug him all day long.
I just hope by not kissing him and washing my hands a lot he won't get one from me.
I won't have him in bed with me whilst I have them. And I'll put the plasters on my lips. I can't do much else but it's all very worrying and triggers such anxiety in me.
Thank you for your responses.

Also Have people had active cold sores and not passed them on to their children? Sorry to sound like a totally anxious mother but on this topic I hold my hands up and say I am a nervous wreck!!