New parents face many decisions when welcoming a baby into the world. One of those is deciding whether to allow visitors to kiss their newborn. There are arguments on both sides of this issue, with some experts advising against it while others see no harm. This article will examine the potential risks and benefits to help parents make an informed decision.
Potential risks of visitors kissing newborn
Here are some of the potential risks that doctors and health organizations point to when advising against allowing visitors to kiss newborns:
- Spread of illness: Newborns have very immature immune systems. Allowing multiple people to kiss the baby increases their exposure to germs and viruses that could make them sick. This is especially concerning for very young infants.
- Herpes: Cold sores or herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can be spread through contact like kissing. While not serious for adults, it can be very dangerous for newborns if it spreads to their eyes, mouth or central nervous system.
- RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that causes cold-like symptoms. For most adults it is mild but it can be severe for infants, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
- Influenza: The flu virus spreads easily through close contact. Infants younger than 6 months old are at high risk for flu complications but too young to receive the influenza vaccine.
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV): CMV is a common virus that is usually harmless in healthy adults and children. But for newborns it can cause serious complications like pneumonia, seizures and hearing loss.
- Meningitis: Bacteria that causes meningitis can be passed through saliva contact. Meningitis involves swelling around the brain and spinal cord that can permanently damage an infant’s nervous system.
- Oral herpes: If someone with oral herpes kisses the baby, the newborn could develop sores known as neonatal herpes. This virus can spread to the baby’s liver, lungs and brain and can be fatal.
As you can see, there are several concerning viruses and bacteria that could potentially be passed to a newborn through kissing by a visitor. Infants at this age have very little immunity and their small size makes them especially vulnerable.
Potential benefits of visitor kissing
While the potential risks are important to consider, there are also some possible benefits to allowing visitors to kiss a newborn:
- Bonding and affection: Kissing is a common way for friends and family to show love and caring. It can help them bond with the new baby.
- Cultural tradition: In some cultures, kissing babies is an important tradition. Denying this could upset some friends or relatives.
- Minimal risk: If the visitor is healthy and doesn’t have any contagious illnesses, the actual risk of transmission may be very low with a quick kiss.
- Viral exposure: Some exposure to common viruses may help strengthen the newborn’s emerging immune system when risks are minimized.
For family members and close friends without any obvious signs of illness, the social benefits and minimal risks of a quick kiss may be reasonable. But precautions are still needed, especially in the early newborn period.
Precautions to take if allowing visitors to kiss newborn
If parents decide to allow visitors to kiss their newborn, there are some important ground rules and precautions to take:
- Kissing on the forehead or feet is safer than directly on the lips or mouth.
- Kiss should be quick and no other contact like snuggling or holding the baby.
- Any visitor should be completely healthy with no signs of illness for at least 2 weeks beforehand.
- Require hand washing before contact and avoid anyone with cold sores.
- Avoid visitor kissing in the first 6 weeks when immune system is most vulnerable.
- Never let strangers or casual acquaintances kiss the baby.
- Consider banning kissing from anyone who smokes due to risk of thirdhand smoke.
Setting some clear expectations can help minimize the chances of illness transmission while allowing some visitors to take part in this bonding tradition.
Guidelines from health organizations
Many major health organizations have taken a stand advising parents against allowing any visitors to kiss newborns, even with precautions. Here are the recommendations from some top health authorities:
American Academy of Pediatrics
The AAP strongly discourages allowing kissing of infants less than 3 months of age by anyone other than the parents. They recommend against kissing on the lips, hands and feet entirely to avoid risk of virus transmission.
Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic also advises against anyone kissing newborns less than 3 months old on the face or hands. They say to avoid contact with saliva by others to reduce infection risk.
Centers for Disease Control
The CDC warns against contact between newborns and people with cold sores, which could spread the herpes simplex virus. They say to avoid kissing on the face and suggest caution with kissing infants’ hands or feet.
UK National Health Service
The NHS says that visitors should avoid close contact like kissing or cuddling newborns. This is because babies have no immunity and are at risk for viruses like colds, flu and herpes from saliva contact.
As you can see, most major health organizations universally agree new parents should prohibit visitors from kissing newborns, especially in the first critical few months of life. Their guidance is based on the very real risks to infant health.
Key recommendations for parents on newborn kissing issue
Based on all the information and perspectives around visitors kissing newborns, here are some evidence-based recommendations for parents making this decision:
- Prohibit kissing on the lips, mouth and hands entirely – these areas are very vulnerable to virus transmission through saliva.
- If allowing kisses elsewhere, forbid contact from anyone with any signs of illness or cold sores.
- Insist visitors wash hands before any newborn contact to limit spread of bacteria.
- Consider only allowing light kisses on the forehead or feet if any kissing is permitted.
- Strongly avoid kissing in first 6-8 weeks when immunity is lowest.
- Educate on risks and ask visitors to respect rules for the baby’s protection.
- Remember that a quick hug or smile can show affection without the need for kissing.
By following these common sense precautions, parents can help minimize the chances of illness while protecting their newborn baby’s health and safety.
Conclusion
Deciding whether to allow visitors to kiss a newborn involves weighing potential benefits against the risks. There are certainly traditions, bonding and minimal risks in some cases that support allowing it. However, experts widely agree that the potential dangers of transmitting viruses and bacteria through saliva make this an unwise choice in the first few fragile months of an infant’s life.
While banning kissing might frustrate some friends and family, this rule comes from a place of protecting baby. There are many other ways to bond and show affection. In discussing this issue with visitors, parents can explain their reasoning, set expectations, and offer alternatives to kissing for showing support. If allowing any kissing at all, following precautions like avoiding the lips, face and hands and insisting on handwashing is critical.
By educating themselves on the risks and setting some firm ground rules, parents can help prevent their newborn from contracting any dangerous illness from well-meaning visitors. While a quick kiss seems harmless, the health organizations’ data on newborn immunity makes a convincing case to forbid kissing babies during at least the initial few months for safety.