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Mom issues a warning about kissing babies

Posted at 11:41 AM, Sep 25, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-25 11:41:42-04

Those adorable baby coos and tiny faces are enough to make anyone want to pucker up.

Just about everyone is in the business of kissing babies from the Pope smooching a little one during his visit in America to politicians.

But is it safe?

A mother is taking to social media warning parents to not let anyone kiss your child.  

On Facebook, Claire Henderson shared pictures claiming a kiss nearly killed her daughter. She says her three month old ended up with oral herpes and was hospitalized for three days.

Doctors say while it could happen, it’s rare and infants can only get it from someone with a cold sore, not just from saliva.

But if they do, it can be deadly since babies have a weaker immune system.

Now a grandmother, Bernice Craig remembers her son had it.

“It was real scary, he looked terrible. They put him in the hospital; he was quarantined for a couple of days until they finally decided it was the herpes virus. The pediatrician said this will never happen to him again,” said Craig.

Doctors recommend keeping baby’s away from public places for the first two months of life.

Moral of the story: before someone slaps a wet one on your baby, make sure they don’t have any symptoms, especially a common cold.

Doctors also warn not to let your child share eating utensils or drinking glasses because that can spread all sorts of viruses as well.