Cold sore and newborn. Help!

[Rosie023]

I woke this morning with a cold sore developing on my lip and am concerned about spreading it to my 8 week old baby. I read it can be very serious for an infant if they catch the virus, even deadly. I kiss her all the time and did last night and probably this morning before I discovered the sore. I am taking 4,000 iu l-lysine and using blistex and frequenty washing my hands. What else can I do? I read that often babies don't show serious symptoms if they catch the virus and you won't even know. Anyone else had this issue?

[Mummoth]

I didn't know it was serious for babies to get it. I don't get cold sores but my daughter does, and I got these polysporin band-aid things for her, so it was at least covered up. Just wash your hands frequently/try not to touch your face and that's about al you can do, I think. 

[element2012]

I think the virus can only be spread like on wet surfaces or cracked skin, so if you kissed your baby last night somewhere on her head, I think she will be fine.  Even on her mouth, I do feel she will be fine unless there was some open skin.  My mom gets cold sores (sorry mom!) and kissed me on the mouth plenty when I was a youngin and I never got them.  I would just be a freak about washing your hands, and there is this ointment they sell at whole foods for cold sores that has lysine and zinc and other stuff that really does speed the healing by a few days. Couldn't hurt to up you vit c too.  Try to identify foods that aggrivate and cause a flare up.

[Dakotacakes]

I had this issue as well. My post-partum period was pretty much constant cold sores. I panicked from my google searches. What I was told is that it is only very dangerous for the newborn if it is the mothers first outbreak. If you have had them before you were pregnant and during breastfeeding, it isn't as dangerous for the baby.

If a mother gets her first outbreak after delivery and therefore didn't transmit anitbodies that have built up over the years during gestation, then it can be very dangerous for the baby.

As for what you can do, probably nothing more than what you are doing now. Good hygiene is key.