Angela Onwuzoo
Citing higher risks for developing infections from bacteria and viruses due to their low immunity, physicians have asked parents not to allow visitors to kiss their newborn babies.
Although some parents see it as an act of love, child health specialists said such love could bring pain to the child whose immunity is still quite low by exposing him to risks of infectious diseases.
The United Nations Children’s Fund says children under five are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, HIV, and tuberculosis.
It notes that despite being entirely preventable and treatable, common infectious diseases are still killing young children in large numbers in Nigeria.
According to the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, the under-five mortality rate in Nigeria is 132 per 1,000 live births, meaning that one in eight Nigerian children never reach the age of five.
The paediatricians who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise also kicked against the habit of some parents allowing people to have unrestricted access to their newborn babies.
They maintained that parents should set firm boundaries on who they will allow to visit when they have a newborn baby.
A Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Dr. Oluwabunmi Mokuolu, said it is wrong for visitors to kiss newborn babies.
She said, “Some of these people that carry babies have allergies like colds for example. By the time they kiss the baby, colds are usually transmitted by viruses and they indirectly transfer these viruses to these babies.
“So, you are increasing their chance/chances of having cold and other viral infections. These bring down their immunity. You know they are really small and new to the world and their immune system is weak.”
The American Paediatrics Academy says even parents with health issues should avoid kissing their newborn babies, warning that they could spread cold sores to them.
According to APA, parents or relatives with cold sores should be especially careful not to kiss babies, stressing that their immune systems are not well developed until after about six months old.
Mokuolu further reminded parents that infections bring down the immunity of babies and make them vulnerable to all manner of illnesses including colds, stressing that cold can be very serious even as little as a cough.
“Although, no cough is little. To adults, it is little but to babies, it is not. That cough can be something else to the child. It can be a bacterial cough and this way, infections can be transferred to the newborn and the poor child does not have enough antibodies or immunity to fight infection like an adult”, she added.
The paediatrician warned that some babies could die from viral infections if they are presented to the hospital late for treatment by the parents.
“If they have these diseases, they are usually a severe form of these diseases and it is not good for them.
“Some can even die from it because parents bring those babies late to the hospital. If you are coming to a newborn’s place, at least, observe basic hygiene.
“Please wash your hands and as much as possible. You don’t have to cuddle or kiss the baby. If you have greeted the parents, it’s okay,” she said.
Also, a Consultant Paediatrician in the Clinical Services Department of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Agatha David, added,” People should treat newborns with respect. Wash and sanitise your hands when paying a visit to a home where there is a new baby. Don’t get too close.
“It is our culture to show love and care to a newborn, but such acts can endanger the life of the baby.’
According to the American Paediatrics Academy, parents or relatives with cold sores should be especially careful not to kiss babies, stressing that their immune systems are not well developed until after about six months old.
“Cold sores are highly contagious. They can spread through saliva, skin-to-skin contact, or by touching an object handled by someone infected with the virus.
“When a child develops a cold sore for the first time (also called primary HSV), the blisters often spread beyond the lips to the mouth and gums. A child may also have a fever, swollen and tender lymph glands, sore throat, irritability, and drooling.
“The virus from cold sores can spread to the eyes, which can lead to HSV keratitis, an infection of the cornea—the clear dome that covers the colored part of the eye. The infection usually heals without damaging the eye, but more severe infections can lead to scarring of the cornea or blindness”, the academy said.
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