Mum alerts parents after an innocent kiss sent her daughter on an URGENT TRIP to the hospital
- Replies 11
A mum of two warned other parents after an innocent kiss on the cheek left her daughter with serious repercussions.
When four year old Aubree developed a pimple on her face last month, her mum Jaimee Lippold initially brushed it off, thinking it was nothing to worry about… But things went downhill fast when the toddler’s wound doubled and then tripled in size, spreading to most of her cheek within a few days.
The mum shared that she took the little girl to urgent care twice where she was both times diagnosed with impetigo, which is a bacterial infection of the skin that’s common among young children and causes red sores on the face.
Aubree was simply prescribed a topical ointment by the doctors and was sent home… But her condition only worsened.
It started out as a pimple but things went downhill fast. Image Credit: 7News
The family decided to rush the little girl to a local children’s hospital where she was immediately admitted for an infection.
The doctors informed Jaimee that Aubree had unfortunately contracted the herpes simplex virus from her (HSV-1, also referred to as cold sores) after she kissed her cheek while she had a cold sore.
Thankfully, Aubree has now fully recovered but the mum of two wanted to share their story to alert other parents and hopefully prevent the same thing from happening to them.
“Aubree had a pimple come up on her face, the pimple scabbed up and came off,” Lippold said.
“Throughout the next few days, the wound became bigger and started to show infection. She began getting fevers and acted sick. She stopped eating and wouldn’t really get up off of the couch.”
The mum was horrified after finding out that her daughter had contracted the infection from her kissing the spot where the pimple was.
“She spent four days in the pediatric unit there, while we waited for some answers,” she continued.
“Because I had a cold sore that wasn’t fully healed, and was playing around kissing my daughter, I passed the virus to her through a tiny pimple on her face,”
“This is something that you hear about, but never think would actually happen to you.”
Aubree has now fully recovered. Image Credit: 7News
Health authorities estimated that about three-quarters of Australian adults are infected with HSV-1, while one in 10 adults are living with HSV-2 (genital herpes). In addition, women are more likely to be infected with HSV-2 than men.
“HSV enters the body through the skin on the mouth, genitals, anus or small cuts in the skin elsewhere on the body. The virus lives in the nerves beneath the skin and may remain inactive and unnoticed for many years.” they detailed.
The mum is just relieved Aubree’s condition did not take a much more grim turn, saying: “Thankfully she wasn’t a baby and our story ended with her coming home with us. This could have affected a baby a lot different, with a different outcome.”
For fellow parents, she warned: “Don’t kiss babies when you have a cold sore or if you feel one coming on.”
Cold sores are highly contagious. Image Credit: Healthline
Health direct stated: “Cold sores start with an itchy and tingling sensation usually on the mouth, lips, or nose and may form small blisters that crust after three days.”
“They can be highly contagious, even when the blisters aren’t present. The virus can spread between people by direct physical contact, such as kissing and sharing drink containers, eating utensils, towels or toothbrushes with someone who already has a cold sore.”
Aside from getting a blister-like spot, you may also have an on-set of the following symptoms:
1. Fever
2. Nausea
3. Headaches
4. Pain and swelling in the mouth
5. Sore throat
6. Swollen glands
7. Dehydration
If the cold sore appears to be spreading, experts advise that it's best to consult with a doctor immediately.
What are your thoughts on this story? Share them with us in the comments!
Learn more about what causes cold sores by watching the video below:
Video Credit: Business Insider
.png){kind=icon}
