Six-month-old Baby Contracts Herpes Through a Kiss

Six-month-old Oarlah contracted herpes, despite a no-kissing ban on visitors imposed by her mother. Photo: Hollie Cruickshanks

In an alarming story carried by The Sun recently shared a few horrific herpes babies pictures that are enough for us to start be reminded of the dangers of kissing newborns, babies and toddlers. 

One mum shared pictures of her baby who could have contracted the virus by just a single kiss.

According to The Sun, six-month-old baby Oarlah was rushed to hospital covered in angry, red viral spots and sores last year.


The spots had spread all over her body, across her head and face and had even gotten into her left eye. The family and doctors both feared she might go blind because of the disease.

Herpes is highly contagious and can be transferred through touch. Photo: iStock

Oarlah had contracted the virus despite the kissing ban her mother Hollie Cruickshanks had imposed on visitors after her birth.

“When I saw those, I was filled with horror. I knew she could be blinded because of it. The thought of her losing her sight was just devastating,” her mother reported.


Oarlah was given a drip hospital and placed under observation, and the swelling fortunately reduced after 24 hours. Subsequently, tests showed that the baby’s eyesight was not affected, much to Hollie and her partner Bradley Airlie’s relief.

A Facebook post by a mum whose baby had contracted herpes from a kiss, had prompted Hollie from imposing the ban on visitors kissing Oarlah after she was born.

She said the post scared her into banning all visitors from kissing the baby but kissed Oarlah herself on the forehead when she was born.


“I was horrified. People thought I was paranoid when I said I didn’t want anyone kissing Oarlah but I’d seen what it could do. I couldn’t help myself and I kissed her on the forehead when she was born, but then I banned all her visitors from kissing her,” she commented.

While she is unsure of exactly how the baby contracted the virus, her doctors had informed her that the virus could also be transferred through touch.

The baby, now 15 months, has since made a full recovery, but mummy still doesn’t let anyone kiss her.


“It was just bad luck she got this. We feel very lucky she came through it,” she says.

Doctor Carol Cooper, advises that the herpes virus is very contagious. An estimated 90 percent of people are thought to be carriers of the disease, with the first time a person presenting symptoms being the worst.


However, very few babies catch it. The virus can be passed on if a person with cold sores kisses a baby or a mother breastfeeds while she has herpes sores on her breasts.

“When my children were young, I was reluctant to let people kiss them. It’s certainly unwise to kiss or touch a baby if you have an active infection of anything,” she reports.

Herpes is a highly contagious virus which triggers painful blisters. It is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, during sex, or can even be spread by just a simple kiss.


Would you allow visitors or family members to kiss your baby?

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This article first appeared on Yahoo! News.

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