Mom's viral warning after newborn contracts deadly virus
A mom is issuing a social media warning after her newborn contracted a deadly virus from a visitor.
Rhian Brace took to Facebook to ask people to be extra careful with personal hygiene when visiting friends’ and families’ babies.
Two weeks after bringing her newborn son, Ernie, home, Brace noticed a small blister-like spot on his head while bathing him. She took him to a doctor, who diagnosed the baby with eczema.
Four days later, 10 more spots appeared. The new mom knew something was wrong, and pleaded with doctors to take a second look at her son.
ALSO SEE: Would you use a sign that tells people not to touch your baby?
“Ernie was seen later that day and was instantly rushed to hospital. Three days into our stay we finally had a diagnosis,” she wrote. “Herpes simplex virus, sometimes known as a common cold sore.”
“Now that doesn’t seem to serious does it? Wrong, it is just as deadly as meningitis in babies if not treated straight away,” she continued. “It starts to attack their brain, lungs and other vital organs, resulting in Ernie needing a long line fitted, so the antibiotics can be fed straight into his system.”
Brace said that beyond the blisters, there were no other symptoms — but she felt something wasn’t right.
“Ernie didn’t have a temperature, his nappies hadn’t changed, he was feeding as he had been for the two weeks he had been at home. The only indication I had that he wasn’t well was one tiny blister like spot on the back of his head,” she wrote.
According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, neonatal herpes simplex virus “can result in devastating outcomes, including mortality and significant morbidity.”
In Canada, one in every 16,500 newborns contract the virus.
Doctors told Brace most infants get the virus through delivery or human contact. Brace doesn’t have the virus, which means Ernie must have contracted the infection from a family member.
“Either through touching or kissing, and someone not washing their hands or knowing they carry the virus,” she told Cafe Mom.
ALSO SEE: Baby boy dies from cold sore virus less than two weeks after birth
After spending two weeks in hospital and completing a full course of IV antibiotics, the infant has thankfully returned home. But he’s not in the clear quite yet — he’ll still have to another six months of oral medicine and regular hospital visits to monitor his progress.
“We have been told that if Ernie gets to his first birthday and the virus has not come back or showed anymore signs, then the virus that has hospitalized him for the first weeks of his life has been completely killed,” Brace wrote.
“Just remember that when being around a newborn, personal hygiene is everything,,” she warned. “Remember to keep your hands clean, don’t kiss and respect the wishes of parents.”
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Check out Yahoo Canada’s podcast, Make It Reign — our hot takes on all things royals in a non-stuffy way — on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
