Dad’s heartbreaking warning to all new parents after his baby girl dies of herpes at 3 weeks old
Jeff Gober watched as his newborn baby girl slipped away over the course of two weeks
A HEARTBROKEN dad has one simple, but life-saving warning to all new parents...wash your hands.
It comes after his baby girl died at just three weeks old, after catching a deadly virus.
Mallory Gober was born a healthy, happy baby.
But within a week tragedy struck, when she picked up an infection.
Over the next two weeks her devastated parents were forced to watch their baby slip away, slowly.
Dad Jeff, from Phoenix, Arizona, revealed his baby daughter was diagnosed with neonatal herpes, from the herpes simplex virus-1.
The bug is commonly known as the cold sore virus, and is highly contagious.
But, Jeff said Mallory didn't come in contact with anyone who had an active cold sore.
If you have a new baby, wash your hands. A lot. If anyone wants to hold your baby, make sure they wash their hands first. Then make them do it again
Jeff Gober
Penning a warning on Facebook earlier this year, Jeff said it had taken him a month to write it.
"If any good can come from her passing and prevent someone else experiencing the heartache, then I would be remiss not to make an effort," he wrote.
"If you have a new baby, or will be around a new baby, wash your hands. A lot.
"If anyone wants to hold your baby, make sure they wash their hands first. Then make them do it again."
The herpes virus is very common, with experts at the World Health Organisation predicting around 67 per cent of all humans are infected.
Jeff warned: "To make things worse, many people who are infected will never show symptoms in their lifetime, and probably don't even know they have it.
"For newborns, it is more than likely fatal, as was the case for Mallory.
"You might think it should have been easy to diagnose.
WHEN THE COLD SORE VIRUS TURNS DEADLY
NEONATAL herpes is when a newborn is infected with the herpes virus.
It's caused by the same strain of herpes that triggers cold sores and genital ulcers in adults.
It can be extremely serious for a young baby, whose immune system won't have fully developed to fight off the virus.
While it's rare, it's important all parents are aware of the dangers.
Newborns can catch herpes in a number of ways.
It can be passed on during birth, if mum has genital herpes for the first time within six weeks of her pregnancy.
After birth, a baby can become infected if a person with a cold sore kisses them.
Or if mum breastfeeds with herpes sores on her breasts.
The warning signs to watch for in your baby are if they:
- lacking energy and being more sleepy than usual
- stop feeding
- floppy
- have a high temperature
- have a high-pitched cry
- have breathing difficulties or start grunting
- breath rapidly
- have a blue tongue
- have a rash
It's important to get your baby checked over if you suspect they've caught or been exposed to herpes.
It can develop quickly and spread to their brain or other parts of the body, proving fatal.
"Surely someone with an oozing cold sore kissed her on the mouth, right?
"Mallory was never in contact with a person with an active cold sore. Never. Nobody ever kissed her on the mouth."
Jeff said Mallory couldn't keep her fingers out of her mouth, adding he suspects the virus somehow ended up on her hands.
"It is possible to be contagious even without a cold sore," he warned.
"She had no symptoms beyond a high fever for most of the first week.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
"And by the time blisters showed up it was probably too late for the antivirals to be effective.
"Considering that more than half the world has the cold sore virus, we don't understand why so few infants die from the disease, or why our beautiful daughter Mallory was the unlucky statistic.
"But that's the way the world works, I suppose.
"Please, if you're reading this, be extra diligent about washing your hands around newborns.
"Statistically speaking, you're probably infected with HSV-1, whether you know it or not."