How dad's cold sore could have killed eight-week-old baby girl
A NSW mum has issued a warning about cold sores after her eight-week-old baby nearly died.
Sophie Lebner’s daughter Lottie woke up on April 21 with “watery” eyes with the family believing she might have conjunctivitis, the mum wrote on Facebook.
The following day the little girl woke up with “a red crusty eye”.
“I thought I was right, Lottie had conjunctivitis,” Ms Lebner wrote.
“The chemist advised us to treat it with saline solution. We did.”
But Lottie’s condition only worsened. The little girl’s red crusty eye began to develop small red blisters on it the following day.
“I noticed two small red pimple like spots on Lottie's left hand from where she had rubbed her eye,” Ms Lebner wrote.
“I then considered she might have hand, foot and mouth disease.
“An hour later Lottie was irritable and upset, nothing would console her, however she did not have a temperature and was generally otherwise well.”
Ms Lebner couldn’t get her to the doctor until the next afternoon. She was then advised to take Lottie to the emergency room.
After an agonising hour and a half wait, a doctor saw Lottie and told the family she was OK.
They were told the rash would go away in 10 days but it would get worse before it got better.
“At the time I questioned that doctor and said I was still concerned about her eye. What if it was an infection and what if it went into her eye and could it cause permanent damage if it did get worse?” she wrote.
“That doctor then proceeded to phone the paediatrician who requested pictures of Lottie's eye and within half an hour the paediatrician arrived at the hospital where he asked me if anyone could have had a cold sore around Lottie.
Lottie’s mum told the doctor “yes”. The little girl’s father Ben had a cold sore that week and Ms Lebner was told about the dangers Herpes Simplex Virus pose to children.
“For an infant, Herpes Simplex Virus within days of exposure can spread to the brain and to the organs, causing permanent damage and death if left untreated,” the mum wrote.
“Lottie was connected to an IV antivirals immediately where I was told what the next 24-48 hours may involve.”
The little girl was transferred to Albury Children’s Ward where the family waited for the symptoms to develop.
Doctors performed a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, on Lottie. It was confirmed she had contracted Herpes Simplex Virus.
“Luckily we caught it before it travelled any further,” Ms Lebner wrote.
“The paediatrician told us that had we not taken her to the ER, had we have waited for the GP appointment the next day, had we not questioned the doctor further, had we have gone home, had we have waited even hours more to act, there was a high chance that we may have lost Lottie, and that she is a real success story.”
Lottie remains on 14 days of IV antivirals and will have six months of oral antibiotics.
Dad blaming himself
Ms Lebner wrote the post not only in the hope of raising awareness but to also help her husband who she said is blaming himself.
“To watch someone so strong go through the process of blaming themselves for their daughter’s illness is debilitating,” she wrote.
“As many times as I or anyone else can tell Ben that it is not his fault, he will always carry this on his shoulders and it's really not fair.
“Ben wishes for everyone to be aware of the risks. He never wants anyone to feel the guilt that himself or sickness that Lottie has encountered.”
Many parents have issued warnings about the virus and its dangers to children.
In October last year, Yahoo News Australia spoke with a mum whose son became ill after she found a blister on his head.
A baby boy in the UK died from a cold sore in August last year.
In January, a horrified mum issued a warning after someone with a coldsore nearly killed her daughter with a kiss on the lips.
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