Baby kissed by relative with cold sore

[Postpartumocd]

Hello, this question is about HSV1 and transmission through non sexual contact. This weekend I was at a family reunion, and my grandmother held my 9 month old son. I didn’t notice but she had a cold sore under her nose/on lip, and she kissed him on the head, back of his hand and cheek. The sore was at the last stage (Reddish skin, no fluid or crust), and she had had it for over a week… I wiped his face and hand right away with a wet wipe.

I have Postpartum OCD and cold sores are a huge trigger for me. I get them occasionally and because of this I never kiss him in in case I am shedding the virus, and I wash my hands all the time. I an obsessive over this, and then someone else puts him at risk. Now I am stuck in a crazed Google-loop that I cannot control, and I feel like I have received some conflicting information.

Can you tell me what your thoughts are on his likelihood of getting the virus from this? These were quick pecks, and I wiped him shortly after. I am sorry if this sounds obsessive…no one else seems worried but I’d be so devastated… I am also breast feeding and am afraid of him passing the oral herpes on to my breasts.

Thank you for your time.

[Terri Warren]

I think the chances that he got infected by your grandmother, honestly. Such low low risk.
And even if he did, which I think is statistically tiny tiny, at 9 months he is old enough to withstand getting this virus, if you are worried about the consequences most severe.
I would definitely not worry about him giving you herpes on the breast. You don’t mention if you also get cold sores?

Terri

[Postpartumocd]

I get them, yes. I am very obsessed with keeping his hands off my face, even with no sores. I wash his hands if he ever touches my mouth/nose. I wash my hands all the time, and am working with a therapist to stop obsessively thinking I am getting an outbreak and putting abreva on constantly. This is why having her kiss him with a sore has made me totally crazed… I constantly check him for sores. I really hope I can move past this and kiss my baby again.

Thank you for your reassurance about this being a low risk. Every article I read says that you get it from a single kiss, usually in childhood, from a relative. I got mine from either my mother or one of my grandmother’s…

I am very paranoid about this since I unknowingly infected my husband with genital outbreaks from oral sex a few years ago, right before I had an outbreak. We moved past that and its not much of an issue for us, but I’d hate to infect the baby too.

[Terri Warren]

I think your OCD is honestly more of a risk, in the big picture, to your baby than oral herpes. Psychological risk. This is already shaping how you relate to him. It is not necessary to wash his hands everytime he touches you mouth or nose. That is a bit much. I’m very very pleased to hear that you are working with a therapist at this time, great move. Are you working with them to try to reduce the frequency of washing as well?

I’m also not a huge fan of Abreva, honestly. If your cold sores are troubling (which clearly they are) you may want to ask your health care provider about going on daily suppressive oral therapy to deal with troubling cold sores rather than constantly using a topical medicine. Just a though.

Terri

[Postpartumocd]

Thank you for your thoughts. I am actually working with a team of people in a program specifically for postpartum issues, and that is where I was diagnosed with postpartum OCD and anxiety. They started me on Zoloft and I am working with a therapist. I’m down to wiping his hands with a wipe quickly instead of full out washing, so progress. This incident just happend while on vacation and I panicked. Your words are reassuring. Thank you.

I know this is my last question, but are the risks of him getting a sore from touching my face without an outbreak fairly low, even if I’m shedding the virus?

[Terri Warren]

I would say as close to zero as one can get. Remember that you won’t be shedding virus from your face or your nose and shedding virus from you lips is also not going to be in any sufficient quantity to infect someone else. The greatest risk is from an active cold sore OR kissing deeply and passionately and for a while with an open mouth if a cold sore is not present.

You are doing great, seeking out accurate information and down to wipes without washing?? Terrific! Keep up the good work.

Terri

[Author]

Posts