A couple from Coldwaltham in Sussex, who lost their baby daughter to an infection, are warning other parents to think twice before letting friends and family kiss a newborn child.
Hayley Riches and Dimitri Constantinou's baby Violet died from the herpes virus, which can be spread by oral contact.
Two years ago, Hayley gave birth to Violet, but the little girl's health rapidly deteriorated despite hospital treatment in Worthing, Southampton and King's College London and died at just one month old.
The death of Violet left the pair aware of how vulnerable newborn babies are, and they've protected their daughter Lily as much as possible. Dimitri said: "When she was first born we were very careful, as expected to be with what happened to Violet, but as time has gone on, we have relaxed a little bit, but we’re still scared.
"We are always scared and we always will be.
"You never know what sort of viruses are out there."
The Lullaby Trust says babies' immune systems aren't fully developed, leaving them especially vulnerable, but simple hygiene precautions can help protect them.
In 2023, the trust did a survey which found that around 54% of new or expecting parents would let a visitor kiss their newborn baby.
Ellen Lithgow a Public Health Engagement Manager from charity said: "If you have been unwell, or are unwell such as active cold sores, vomitting and diarrhoea or you’ve recently had something like that, then it is best to hold off visiting that baby until you are feeling much better."
She said: "T-H-A-N-K-S stands for Think, Hands and No Kisses.
"So that’s if you’re visiting a baby, or seeing a baby and making sure before you touch a baby, you wash your hands and that you don’t kiss a baby unless you are the main parent or caregiver.
"This is especially important in those first few weeks of life when babies are more vulnerable to infection because we know that infections that may be mild in adults and older children can be really serious and life-threatening for babies."
Hayley and Dimitri say no one in their family had cold sores at the time of Violet's birth, and they'll never know exactly how she caught the herpes infection.
