Father Speaks Out After Losing Infant Daughter From Mistake Many Parents Make

Jun 29, 2019 by apost team

Jeff and Natasha Gober of Utah were just as excited as any parents when they welcomed their very first child. The couple was so thankful for the safe delivery of their precious little Mallory. Little could they have expected the tragic turn her brief journey of life was about to take.

Just three weeks after her birth, little Mallory's life was cut short. Her parents were, understandably, heartbroken. They didn't understand how their seemingly healthy child could have ended up dying. The doctors told them the cause was an aggressive infection that her small body wasn't able to withstand.

Jeff Gober was so overcome with grief at the passing of his daughter that he wasn't emotionally able to speak out right away. Finally, he felt compelled to say something to try and raise awareness so other children wouldn't end up meeting the same fate as his little girl. According to 12 News, Gober took to social media, where he begged people to make sure and wash their hands thoroughly before handling a young baby.

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The Gobers certainly aren't alone. Many parents have had to endure this type of earth-shattering loss of a newborn who seems completely normal and then suddenly passes away.

Abigail Friend and her husband were a Maryland couple who were blessed with a sweet newborn whom they named Aliza Rose. She was just eight days old when she died from a virus.

"I’m never going to stop sharing the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, soul-shattering story of our sweet Aliza Rose," she wrote in a social media post. "She was 8 days old when she passed away. She was born a happy healthy almost 9lb baby. She was healthy for a day and half before the HSV-1 virus attached to her spine and ate her lungs and brain. Someone touched her without washing their hands or kissed her face while being a carrier of the virus. And anyone can be a carrier and not show signs! It’s fatal until at least two weeks old and parents can pass it on to them as well! Please help us save more babies lives by sharing our story and NOT kissing babies. WASH YOE HANDS. DO NOT KISS THE BABIES."

People naturally want to cuddle and smooch newborn babies. Their faces seem like they're just asking to be kissed. But parents like those already mentioned in this story who lost their precious babies are putting out a word of caution.

Even healthy babies can end up catching viruses and infections and losing their lives needlessly due to touches, kisses, and caresses from well-meaning loved ones. In both cases, the babies ended up dying from catching Herpes Simplex Virus-1. In older people, this virus typically surfaces as a common cold sore that isn't life-threatening. However, when a baby catches it, the virus can cause death if it's not quickly diagnosed and treated

The statistics from the World Health Organization for HSV-1 are rather shocking. Up to 67% of the world's population is infected with this common virus worldwide. There are plenty of infected people who never demonstrate any symptoms at all, so they're unaware that they're carriers.

In spite of Mallory never being kissed by anyone who showed any kind of cold sore symptoms, she still managed to contract the disease sometime during her first week of life. Aliza Rose spent only one and a half days as a healthy baby before coming into contact with the deadly HSV-1 virus that eventually took her life. Her mother urges people to be diligent about washing hands before touching babies and to refrain from kissing newborns. Those within the first two weeks of life are most vulnerable to dying from the disease.

Lucy Kendall, a new mom from England, had to bury her newborn son when he died of the herpes virus. According to a post she shared on social media, he was just eleven days old when he passed away. Both of the baby's parents were in dismay and utter disbelief that he could die so suddenly after being born healthy.

"After 8days of watching Oliver fight for his life in High Dependency Unit (HDU) the doctor finally came in and said Oliver had caught neonatal herpes. As you could imagine me and my partner was shocked, we couldn't comprehend What he just said 😳" She wrote.

The doctor began to explain the herpes simplex virus can be passed onto a newborn baby if; a person has a cold sore and kisses the baby or touches the baby after touching the Cold sore."

Cold sores are at their most contagious when they burst (rupture). They remain contagious until completely healed."

Rhian Brace, also of England, found out that her son Ernie had HSV-1. She made the discovery by noticing some unusual lumps that appeared on his head seemingly out of the blue. Once the spots started looking infected, his mom became alarmed. She took him into the doctor to be checked immediately.

The disease works quickly, attacking the lungs, brain, and other major organs of the body when it's contracted by a newborn. In Ernie's case, it appears that he received treatment just in time and has made a recovery.

"[...] Just remember that when being around a newborn, personal hygiene is everything, remember to keep your hands clean, don’t kiss and respect the wishes of parents." She wrote on her Facebook post.

According to the Department Of Health, New York State, the first signs of HSV-1 in babies are little blisters.

They can show up near the mouth or lips, and throughout the face. It's spread by touching the skin of an infected person, getting in contact with their saliva, or even through germs left on objects that have been touched by infected people. This is why hand washing before touching babies and not kissing babies is so important!

Were you previously aware of the risks this common virus poses to newborns? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Pass this story along to everyone you know, to help prevent more tragic newborn deaths from HSV-1!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!