Baby concerns

[8888]

Hi! Thank you for being here and answering concerns and questions! I would like to preface this my saying that I am sure these will sound very very crazy but I am having a really hard time with OCD with worries over my baby and I am here for the reassurance.

I have never had cold sores or genital sores or any type and while pregnant scored negative for both HSV 1 & 2 on blood test. I have family members that get cold sores and one family member with both genital and oral herpes.

My questions are:

1) My sister with documented HSV 1 on her genitals also gets cracks around the corner of her mouths along with swollen lymph nodes under her chin.. does this sound like she is getting HSV 1 on her mouth then?

2) If my baby touches someone’s mouth two days after the cold sore is healed over and gone and I wash his hands a couple minutes after is there a chance of him getting herpetic Whitlow?

3) If asymptomatic shedding can transmit virus do I need to wash his hands after he touches anyones mouth any time?

4) How long after a family member has a cold sore that is healed and gone can they kiss him?

5) How long after a cold sore is the skin around the mouth contagious for if he touches it and then touches his own mouth or eyes?

6) If my baby touched the tooth of someone (random I know) that had a cold sore the day before at risk of contracting any type of HSV?

7) Does washing hands after touching sores completely eliminate chances of transmission?

8) Does the length of the touching matter, like if he grazes his hand by someone’s cold sore and I’m not able to wash it after is he going to get a cold sore?

Thank you in advance I know this is insane.

[Terri Warren]

1) My sister with documented HSV 1 on her genitals also gets cracks around the corner of her mouths along with swollen lymph nodes under her chin.. does this sound like she is getting HSV 1 on her mouth then?
It is possible or this could be something called angular chelitis. I don’t know which.

2) If my baby touches someone’s mouth two days after the cold sore is healed over and gone and I wash his hands a couple minutes after is there a chance of him getting herpetic Whitlow?
No

3) If asymptomatic shedding can transmit virus do I need to wash his hands after he touches anyones mouth any time?
I think that would be a bit over the top.

4) How long after a family member has a cold sore that is healed and gone can they kiss him?
Probably best to kiss the baby on the head somewhere – though kissing on the lips is a very minimal risk.

5) How long after a cold sore is the skin around the mouth contagious for if he touches it and then touches his own mouth or eyes?
If the cold sore is helaed, touching the face around the mouth is not a real risk for the baby.

6) If my baby touched the tooth of someone (random I know) that had a cold sore the day before at risk of contracting any type of HSV?
No

7) Does washing hands after touching sores completely eliminate chances of transmission?
I’m not sure I know the perfect answer for that but I would say yes, most likely

8) Does the length of the touching matter, like if he grazes his hand by someone’s cold sore and I’m not able to wash it after is he going to get a cold sore?
The time is important – grazing is so unlikely to infect anyone!

Terri

[8888]

Thank you so much! I have some follow up questions:

1) My mom who has a history of cold sores kissed my baby in the back of the head and top of the head yesterday and today has woken up with a cold sore. What do you think the chance of transmission is here?

2) I have tried to be very diligent and strict on no kissing the baby rules but I come from a big loving family and everyone else kisses all the other babies so I don’t want to make my baby feel weird when he sees affection not toward him, is there a “safest” place to kiss babies? I am now on even higher alert since someone can just pop up with a cold sore the next day.

3) Are you always contagious days before outbreaks? Is that like a given? Or only a maybe?

4) If I believe an exposure has occurred, how many days after the exposure is he at risk of getting a cold sore, when can I stop worrying?

5) Say someone kisses him and nothing pops up for like a month or so, can something pop up years later? Or can I assume he’s in the clear?

6) If he does catch the virus will he catch it where the contact was or will it pop up anywhere? Like with a kiss to the head or cheek will it pop up there or manifest on his mouth?

Thank you so much!!

[Terri Warren]

1) My mom who has a history of cold sores kissed my baby in the back of the head and top of the head yesterday and today has woken up with a cold sore. What do you think the chance of transmission is here?
Incredibly low. The intact skin of the head is too thick for virus to penetrate, if she happened to be shedding virus.

2) I have tried to be very diligent and strict on no kissing the baby rules but I come from a big loving family and everyone else kisses all the other babies so I don’t want to make my baby feel weird when he sees affection not toward him, is there a “safest” place to kiss babies? I am now on even higher alert since someone can just pop up with a cold sore the next day.
Anywhere other than lips or genitals.

3) Are you always contagious days before outbreaks? Is that like a given? Or only a maybe?
It’s a maybe

4) If I believe an exposure has occurred, how many days after the exposure is he at risk of getting a cold sore, when can I stop worrying?
The average time from infection to symptoms if 5.5 days, with the range being 2-10 days.

5) Say someone kisses him and nothing pops up for like a month or so, can something pop up years later? Or can I assume he’s in the clear?
Very likely yes

6) If he does catch the virus will he catch it where the contact was or will it pop up anywhere? Like with a kiss to the head or cheek will it pop up there or manifest on his mouth?
It would show up where the contact was. The cheek is too thick for virus to penetrate also.

Terri

[Author]

Posts