A few of the babies of our forum members had mouth Sores that cause bleeding. This made the baby very hard to suckle and cause a lot of discomfort and pain. The mention of ‘herpes’ made the parents very paranoid.

Usually, the mention of the word herpes is not a very pleasant one as it conjures up the image of sexually transmitted disease. So, I took time to search through several websites and found this info. (Please note that we cannot just grab the info from any website because many of them provide info with ulterior motives, i.e. purchasing their herbal treatment and stuffs like that. So, parents, be careful when looking for information on the net.)

There are two types of Herpes Simplex virus, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 is the usual cause of cold sores on the lips (herpes labialis (see Mouth Sores: Oral Herpes Simplex)) and sores on the cornea of the eye (herpes simplex keratitis (see Corneal Disorders: Herpes Simplex Keratitis)). HSV-2 causes genital herpes. This distinction is not absolute: genital infections are sometimes caused by HSV-1. These infections can be transmitted by direct contact with sores and sometimes by contact with the oral and genital areas of chronically infected people in between episodes of sores.

Usually, the type infant gets is the Herpes Simplex Type 1. If I am not mistaken, pregnant women are tested for several sexually transmitted diseases including HIV+. Therefore, if a pregnant woman is found to have HSV Type 2, which is the one happening on the genitals, then, their ob-gynae will take the necessary precautions for a Caesarean birth.

Infants or adults with a skin condition called atopic eczema can develop a potentially fatal HSV infection in the area of skin that has the eczema (eczema herpeticum (see Itching and Noninfectious Rashes: Symptoms)). Therefore, people with atopic eczema should avoid being near anyone with an active herpes infection.

So, moms whose children have atopic eczema, you may want to be extra careful with your children and watch closely who are in contact with them.

Symptoms and Complications

The first oral infection with HSV usually causes sores inside the mouth (herpetic gingivostomatitis). In addition, the person generally feels sick and has fever, headache, and body aches. The mouth sores last 10 to 14 days and are often very severe, making eating and drinking extremely uncomfortable. In some first oral infections, swollen gums are the only symptom; occasionally, no symptoms develop. Herpetic gingivostomatitis most commonly develops in children.

Treatment

No current antiviral treatments can eradicate HSV infection, and treatment of the first oral or genital infection does not prevent chronic infection of nerves.

Because herpes simplex is contagious, people with infection of the lips should avoid kissing during eruptions. People with genital herpes should use condoms at all times. Even when there are no visible blisters, the virus may be present on the genital surfaces and potentially transmissible to sex partners.

Read the full text from The Merck Manual

If your child has this infection, remember to ask your doctor all the necessary questions such as (just a partial suggestion) :
1) How did the child get it?
2) How to prevent it?
3) What are the symptoms you should look out? (to ensure that you detected it early)
4) As it was mentioned, currently there is no medicine to cure it except to relieve its discomforts, so what you can do to make your child more comfortable
5) How should you handle your child so that he/she doesn’t infect others
6) Will the virus infect you if your child is breastfeeding? (You do not want a vicous cycle of re-infecting your child.)
7) Will the mouth sores spread to other parts of his/her body ( article above mentioned that the eyes can be affected), what are the dangers?

Remember to jot down your questions to ask the doctor beforehand and don’t hesitate to take out your list of questions and jot down the answers as you go through with your doctor. (Read MyMomsBest site on my tips on how to get the most out of a visit to the doctor.)

A confident doctor will be pleased to help you out with your doubts. And if you meet one who shows his/her disapproval with your questioning, then doctor shopping may be in order!

Originally posted 2005-10-26 09:20:36.