Babies come out with tiny rosebud lips that look like they are just waiting to be kissed. In fact, an infant face feels like an invitation to smooch. While affection is absolutely essential for the proper development of children, parents need to rethink letting just anyone kiss their children. In fact, they may want to rethink letting anyone kiss the baby on the mouth.
Parents are obviously going to resist strangers from off the street trying to kiss their babies, but the threat may lurk closer to home. Visitors, like family members and close friends, may feel that kissing a baby is just a way to show affection. Unfortunately, it can also be a way to spread germs that can prove fatal for infants. And this is completely 100% avoidable.
Even parents can carry germs that can be dangerous for a baby, and our kisses also have the potential to cause cavities and encourage other siblings to mimic our behavior. There are plenty of ways to let our babies know we love them, but one of the best ways to support the health of our children may be to have a no-kissing policy.
This may sound extreme, and many parents may just make it a no-kissing-baby-on-the-lips policy. However, it's important to put some rules and guidelines in place because the following problems on this list are real. Though we would never intentionally hurt our children, not knowing what the saliva coming from other people can do to them means we may inadvertently cause them harm.
1. DANGEROUS COLD SORES
A Facebook post went viral after a mom saw what could happen when an adult kisses a child on the mouth. Her child ended up with the Herpes Simplex Virus(HSV), in this case HSV-1, the type that is associated with cold sores.
Noticing the signs early helped this mom get her child to the hospital in time, but the child was in the hospital for days with the virus spreading across her body. Her young age meant her immune system couldn't fight the virus, and that's why herpes can be fatal for babies.
Though an adult should be able to recognize a cold sore and make the decision not to kiss others while it's present, it's best for parents to make a no-kissing-the-baby-on-the-face rule to avoid this fate. Given the severity of this case, it's not an extreme request.
2. CHEMICALS IN MAKEUP AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
Both men and women put a multitude of chemicals on their faces daily to try to stay young, look fresh, and hide their true faces. Though we've known for some time that the chemicals in these products aren't usually of the best quality, it hasn't stopped many people from continuing to use them.
These productsoften contain formaldehyde, parabens, and artificial colors, and that's just a start. Some have been recognized as endocrine interrupters, and others are associated with cancer risks. Though it's not a good idea for any of us to come into contact with these, it's extremely bad for babies.
By asking people not to kiss our babies on their faces, we can limit our children's exposure to toxic chemicals contained in makeup, moisturizers, and other products. Its' a small step, but it is something.
3.THE KISSING DISEASE
Mononucleosis is nicknamed the kissing disease because it can be passed through saliva, a common component in kissing. Many people believe infants are immune to mono since they consider it a disease for teenagers who are making out with their significant others. However, infants can get mono.
The good news is this is one of the rare conditions that may be easier on infants than teenagers and adults. When infants contract mono, the condition may just result in a child having a runny nose and being cranky. It can lead to upper respiratory issues, but in infants those are usually also mild.
The problem is there is no treatment for mono since it is viral, so an infant will be forced to suffer through not feeling well until the infection clears up on its own. Plus, since this condition is extremely contagious, babies can pass it on to other people in the house. That means the mild virus can turn into a full-fledged nightmare for adults and older kids who catch it.
4. CAVITY CAUSING KISSES
We may tell children that they develop cavities because they don't brush and floss their teeth. While this is true, it's not the whole story. Children can also develop cavities because we kiss them.
Dentists are warning parents that their saliva can carry a bacteria known for causing cavities. When we kiss our children on the mouths, we may be passing Streptococcus mutans. When our children receive this bacteria from us, cavities can develop in their tiny teeth, and these are usually found at their first dentist appointments.
Sharing food with our children can have the same effect since it is a way we pass saliva to our children, but kissing seems to be the most direct way we unintentionally share our germs. No adult or child should kiss a child on the mouth, and it's a good idea to make sure when we blow on food to cool it off for kids that we don't spray saliva on it as well.
5. WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS
Babies' immune systems are pretty much non-existent for their first several months on earth. Gut bacteria are still being established, and though breastfeeding and probiotics can help build a baby's immunity, they can still be easily compromised in those early months.
Because of this, any adult who comes into contact with the baby needs to make sure they wash their hands. If they have even a small sign of illness, they should also avoid visiting a newborn. With these two precautions in place, babies can hopefully avoid issues. However, if an adult then comes in and kisses a baby's face, they are sharing germs that mom and dad just asked them to wash off their hands.
What may appear as a cold or mild irritant for adults can turn into full-blown illness in a baby. That's why having a no kissing policy makes so much sense. Even adults don't always know they are falling ill until after the fact, and that means our babies, who are already working with little to no immune system, may be exposed to germs they can't fight.
6. HORRIBLE STOMACH VIRUSES
There is nothing more pitiful to watch than a baby with a stomach virus. Watching them vomit and have diarrhea while miserable from stomach pain is almost unbearable for parents. Stomach viruses are usually extremely contagious, so one kiss from an adult who is carrying the virus is all it takes to put a child in harm's way.
Besides being miserable for children, stomach viruses are dangerous for infants. Due to the loss of so many bodily fluids, babies can dehydrate quickly. Dehydration lands infants in the hospital receiving an IV to keep fluids flowing through their bodies.
Even a mom who breastfeeds can't always keep her child from dehydrating because babies will often just vomit up whatever hits their stomachs when ill. That's why anyone who visits the baby should be days away from any virus they had, and they should still refrain from kissing the baby's face.
7. LITTLE KIDS WILL MIMIC GROWN UP BEHAVIOR
Many babies are born into families where older siblings await. Those older siblings take their cues from the adults in their lives, so if they see people kissing the baby on the lips or all over the face, they will likely join in.
While siblings showing affection is cute, it can also be toxic. Older siblings go out into the world to preschool and public school, and they come into contact with germs. Germs aren't bad, and exposure can help a child's immune system grow. However, infants are still building their immune systems. That's why a child just a couple of years older can handle an illness without much trouble, but an infant may be killed by the same germ.
Talk to kids about not touching or kissing their little siblings faces, then set an example by asking adults to follow the same rule.
Sources: Verywell.com, NBCnews.com, Huffingtonpost.com, Dailytelegraph.com.au
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