Microbiologist warns people not to kiss babies
Filipinos avoid kissing babies while they’re asleep due to a superstition that they’ll grow into naughty children. However, a UK-based clinical microbiologist has a more scientific reason.
NHS surgeon Dr. Karan Raj recently posted a TikTok video warning people not to share this sign of affection with newborns.
READ: AI learns vocabulary from baby with a webcam
Article continues after this advertisementDr. Primrose Freestone, an Associate Professor in Clinical Microbiology at the University of Leicester, warned that this innocuous act may cause serious infection.
Why should people avoid kissing babies?
Dr. Freestone explained in The Conversation that a baby’s immune system is not fully developed. Consequently, they are more likely to catch severe infections.
An infant’s immune system has fewer innate infection-fighting immune cells for its first three months than older children and adults.
Article continues after this advertisementThat means infections that typically cause mild symptoms could become life-threatening for babies.
For example, the herpes virus usually causes cold sores in adults. On the other hand, it could damage a baby’s organs and become fatal.
The younger the child, the more vulnerable they are to herpes infection, especially in the first four weeks after birth.
Newborns are also more vulnerable to infectious bacteria than older children. For example, they’re more susceptible to group B streptococci (GBS).
GBS infection in babies can cause pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, and blood infections.
Babies are precious, so everyone wants to show their affection towards the little bundle of joy. Instead of kissing babies, Dr. Freestone recommends the following:
- Wash your hands thoroughly.
- Avoid kissing the infant on the mouth or face. Instead, kiss their foot or the back of their head.
- Also, refrain from visiting young children if you have an active infection.
- If you need to visit a child, wear a mask and avoid closely approaching the baby.
- If you have any cold sores, cover them with a dressing before approaching young children.
