Why can’t you kiss a baby? Forbid this to all guests

Very often, when guests visit a young mother and her baby, they want to kiss the baby. However, such an innocent kiss can pose a deadly threat to babies, so parents should absolutely prohibit doing so and should also follow this rule. Remember that you can show tenderness to small children in many other ways, for example by hugging, stroking, tickling or similar gestures.

Why can’t you kiss a baby?

Although giving kisses to babies seems very delightful and innocent, it can actually pose a huge danger to them. If we kiss a toddler, we leave saliva on his body, which contains microorganisms. If we kiss a baby on the forehead or cheek, the skin acts as a barrier. When we kiss their hand – theoretically also, although the toddler can put it in his mouth (which happens very often), and thus introduces microorganisms there.

Remember that our oral cavity is a place where bacteria, viruses and fungi live. Kisses are therefore dangerous for small children because their immune system is not yet fully developed and, consequently, it is not yet efficient enough to effectively defend itself against them. Kissing can also infect an infant with viruses that cause flu or colds.

Kissing a baby and the herpes virus

Babies cannot be kissed on the lips for another, very important reason. Kissing a child, especially on the lips, can infect them with the herpes virus. Although it is harmless to adults, it can be fatal in small children. It is worth remembering that adults can be carriers of this virus, even if they have never had the so-called Cold. It may simply lie dormant and wait until the immune system weakens – then the blisters appear.

In adults, this virus only causes an annoying lesion on the lips, but the situation is completely different in the case of children. It may lead to the so-called herpes stomatitis, thus causing extensive sores in the mouth and throat. It can also cause herpes encephalitis, which is very dangerous. There have been cases of death of a child who was kissed by an adult with the herpes virus, which is why it is called the “kiss of death.”

What else should you watch out for with a baby?

Also remember that a kiss may also cause allergies in a child, for example it may cause an allergy to protective lipstick, face cream or even previously eaten dairy products or strawberries. It is also important not to lick pacifiers or spoons in the first months of the baby’s life, which later end up in the baby’s mouth.

You should also not put a baby’s hands in your mouth, even if he or she eagerly grabs your lips. In this way, we can also “pass” germs to him, which will later end up in his mouth. It is also necessary to wash your hands frequently and maintain oral hygiene.