TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about stillbirth and infant loss, which may be triggering to some.
I’ve been pretty silent since Mallory’s death. It’s taken me over a month now to write this, but if any good can come from her passing and prevent someone else from experiencing the heartache, then I would be remiss not to make an effort.
If you have a new baby, or will be around a new baby, wash your hands. A lot. If anyone wants to hold your baby, make sure they wash their hands first. Then make them do it again.
HSV-1 can be extremely dangerous for infants.
HSV-1, most commonly known as the virus behind cold sores, is a form of herpes (Herpes Simplex Virus-1). It is extremely common, and the World Health Organization estimates that 67% of all humans on Earth are infected.
To make things worse, many people who are infected will never show symptoms in their lifetime and probably don’t even know they have it. For newborns, it is more than likely fatal, as was the case for Mallory.
It should have been easy to diagnose.
You might think it should have been easy to diagnose. Surely someone with an oozing cold sore kissed her on the mouth, right? Mallory was never in contact with a person who had an active cold sore. Never. Nobody ever kissed her on the mouth. In spite of that, she caught HSV-1 within her first week of life and we had to watch her die slowly for nearly two weeks.
Mallory could not keep her hands out of her mouth and eyes and she was constantly sucking on her fingers, so it’s almost certain that the virus got onto her hands at some point. It is possible to be contagious even without an active cold sore.
There weren't many symptoms.
She had no symptoms beyond a high fever for most of the first week, and by the time blisters showed up, it was probably too late for the antivirals to be effective. Considering that more than half the world has the cold sore virus, we don’t understand why so few infants die from the disease or why our beautiful daughter Mallory was the unlucky statistic, but that’s the way the world works I suppose.
Better safe than sorry.
Please, if you’re reading this, be extra diligent about washing your hands around newborns. Statistically speaking, you’re probably infected with HSV-1 whether you know it or not.
This post was written by Jeff Gober and was reprinted with permission.
*Disclaimer: The advice on Cafemom is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
