14-Day-Old Baby Dies From Virus Contracted Through Kiss, Parents Warn

A 14-day-old baby died in West Yorkshire, England, in August this year from herpes simplex virus which the doctors believe was contracted through a kiss. Her parents on Sunday issued a warning about the dangers of the cold sore virus.

Kelly Ineson, 30, and her fiancé Thomas Cummins, 26, were left in a state of shock just 10 days after baby Kiara was born when she had to be rushed to the hospital after her weight suddenly dropped.

“Doctors have told us that Kiara most likely contracted the virus through someone kissing her. We were always so careful, not letting anyone near her if they seemed poorly, or hadn't washed their hands. We've been asked if we remember anyone with a cold sore kissing her, but we don't, and would never have let that happen,” the baby’s mother said, Daily Mail reported.

“I've been going over every little detail of what happened in my mind, desperate to find an answer as to exactly what happened, but I don't think I'll ever get one – and that's what's killing me. I never in my worst nightmares imagined a kiss could kill my baby, and I don't want any other parents to go through this,” she added.

The baby’s health declined in the four days at the hospital and the doctors initially couldn’t identify what kind of infection the baby had contracted.

"It was horrendous. I couldn't help but think of the worst case scenario. Every time we got a little bit of hope, something else would happen. I remember once popping out of the ward to get a cup of tea and some fresh air, and Kiara's oxygen levels dropped while I was gone. I came back to see all these doctors running to her bedside and I just crumbled. I think, deep down, I knew then that she wouldn't survive. Even though doctors stabilized her, I couldn't help but look at her hooked up to all those machines, with an oxygen mask on, and wonder how she was going to pull through,” Ineson said.

On the 13th day, her kidneys shut down and she developed sepsis. She was put into induced coma.

The baby was diagnosed with neonatal herpes, a highly contagious herpes simplex virus, because of which all her organs were shutting down one after the other. Her parents were informed that even if she pulled through her brain would be damaged.

“We begged doctors to do what they could, but it was no use. We were essentially told that we'd be waiting for her to die. I couldn't hear any more. I just broke down, running down the corridor screaming until I collapsed. I knew Thomas and I had a horrendous decision to make. It was incredibly hard, but in the end, we agreed with the doctors to let her go with peace and dignity, rather than prolong her suffering. Our family all came to say goodbye, then left us two with her while, one by one, all the machines keeping her alive were removed. She passed away at 6:32 pm on August 13 – the worst moment of my life,” she said.

Speaking about the virus, the mother said, “Before this, like most people, I thought of herpes as an STI. But it's actually a virus that many people may not realize they carry. There's nowhere near enough information about herpes out there. Even those in the medical profession need to be much more aware of it, and the damage it can cause.”