There is a cognitive bias called “the curse of knowledge” (sometimes also “the curse of experience”). It occurs when we incorrectly assume that everyone knows as much as we do about a given topic. For example, as clinical microbiologist, I assumed everyone knew it was a terrible idea to kiss a newborn anywhere on the head.
Primrose Freestone
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester
Dr. Karan Raj, surgeon with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, recently made a video of TikTok warning people of the dangers of kissing a baby and, judging by the thousands of comments, this was new to many on the social network.
Late last year, a British charity called The Lullaby Trust published the results of a survey revealing that the 54% of new parents and expectant parents “They would let friends and family kiss their newborn, without being aware of the risk of serious infection.”
But why is it so dangerous?
A baby’s immune system not fully developed when you are born, so your risk of contracting a serious infection is much higher.
During the first three months of life, roughly, the human immune system has fewer innate immune cells that fight infections, such as neutrophils and monocytes, compared to adults. This means that infections that cause mild symptoms in adults or older children can be potentially fatal to babies.
The infection by herpes virus is an example of this. In adults, herpes causes cold sores, but newborns can become seriously ill quickly after contracting the virus. If herpes only affects the eyes, mouth or skin, most recover after antiviral treatment. But if the virus becomes systemic and affects the organs, the infection is much more serious and can even be fatal. The smaller the baby, the more vulnerable he or she is to herpes infection, especially in the first four weeks after birth.
Newborns are also more vulnerable to infectious bacteria than older children and adults. Above all, infections by intracellular pathogens (bacteria that can enter and survive inside the cells of the host organism), such as streptococci of group B (GBS). These bacteria usually live in the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of their hosts without causing disease. GBS infections in babies provoke sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections.
Babies are also susceptible to infections from strains of E. coli that are not harmful to adults, causing pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, all of which can have serious consequences.
How to show affection safely
Parents of very young children They should not feel uncomfortable asking visitors to avoid kissing or touching their child. If the visitor truly cares about the baby’s well-being, he or she should not be offended by the request. And parents should not feel that they are overreacting.
The kindest action of any visitor is not to put the baby in danger, but if for good reasons you must kiss him, there is some things which can reduce the risk of infection.
First, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly. And avoid giving him a kiss on the mouth or face; do it on the foot or the back of the neck. If you have an active infection of any kind, think about whether you really need to visit your newborn, especially if he or she is less than a month old.
Herpes infections are especially serious for very young babies, so cover any cold sores with a dressing.
If you are unwell but feel you cannot miss the visit, wear a mask and avoid getting close to the child, especially if they have a respiratory illness.
Always keep in mind that babies are very vulnerable to infections. Although kissing is a sign of affection, it can make a newborn seriously ill, and you would feel terrible if that happened.
This article was originally published in The Conversation.