1 Mom's Plea to Parents Everywhere: "Stop Kissing Your Newborns"

It's hard for any sane human to resist kissing the sweet face of a newborn baby, but one mom is rethinking how people show affection to babies after her infant daughter suddenly fell ill due to being kissed.

Claire Henderson noticed that something was wrong with her daughter, Brooke, and rushed her to the emergency room. The doctors came to the conclusion that the symptoms Brooke was experiencing were due to the herpes virus — something that around 90 percent of the population carries — likely due to someone with a cold sore kissing her mouth.

Babies younger than 3 months — whose immune systems aren't fully developed — can experience complications from exposure to it, including eye infections, widespread skin infection, or organ complications, which can be fatal.

Brooke was lucky to be brought to the hospital early enough that her complications were kept under control and her tests came back clear, but Claire is urging parents not to kiss their babies on the mouth, whether they have evidence of a cold sore or not.

Would you kiss your newborn on the mouth knowing the potential risks?