Rugeley mum's cold sore warning after baby who contracted HSV dies

A bereaved mother whose newborn daughter died after contracting the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is urging other parents to learn about the little-known dangers cold sores can pose to babies.

For most adults, cold sores are usually a painful but common infection. But in newborn babies, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed, HSV can cause a life-threatening illness.

Meg Edmonds' daughter Magnolia died aged just 10 days in February and it is suspected the virus may have been passed on by her mother.

"The guilt is obviously unbearable, it's horrific, but I just try and remind myself that I didn't know and I did what I could have done with the knowledge that I did have," she said.

Warning: This story contains distressing details

She has decided to speak publicly as part of an infection prevention campaign run by the Lullaby Trust, a charity which promotes infant health.

The 22-year-old, from Rugeley in Staffordshire, said Magnolia was born healthy after what she described as a straightforward birth.

"I had a lovely birth with her, a water birth. She was nearly two weeks overdue like her big sister but everything was fine and she was born perfectly healthy," she said.

Only later did she realise she appeared to have a sore on her lip at around the time Magnolia was born.

"Looking back at photos now, I can see that I had a lesion or sore on my lip whilst I was giving birth which I thought nothing of at the time," Meg said.

"I had never had a cold sore or anything before.

"I'd asked health professionals if they thought it was a cold sore, but I was reassured that it wasn't, it was nothing to worry about.

"They just thought that I might need to drink more or that it might just have been hormonal from giving birth only the day prior, so I thought nothing of it."

But Magnolia's condition deteriorated and she later died from HSV.

The experience left Meg living with what she described as a constant reminder of her loss.

It was the first cold sore she had experienced, but another outbreak since Magnolia's death brought back painful memories.

"I'm now going to get them for the rest of my life, however regular that might be," she said.

"It's horrible. I was really dreading it because I'm constantly reminded anyway that my daughter isn't here any more and why that is, but to actually have a physical reminder on my face is horrible."

She said one of the hardest things to accept was that she had never realised a cold sore could pose a danger to a newborn baby.

"I'd heard of herpes before, but I'd only heard of it as the sexually transmitted infection," Meg said.

"I'd never heard that a cold sore could be the herpes virus and that the herpes virus could be so dangerous to a newborn baby."

The family had already taken precautions to protect Magnolia from infection.

"We chose not to have family round who were poorly at the time because I knew that was not safe," Meg said.

"But I'd never ever seen anything about cold sores, HSV, neonatal herpes, nothing, and it's only since that I've found so much out that I just wish I'd known before."

Meg said she never kissed her daughter and was careful about hygiene because Magnolia had been born during winter.

"I washed my hands constantly because I was worried in general about infections.

"But I never knew that if that passed to her it could kill her."

Research by the Lullaby Trust has highlighted the pressure some parents feel when asking people not to kiss or touch their baby.

"We know that parents can feel awkward, embarrassed or even guilty about asking someone not to kiss their baby, wash their hands or keep their distance when they're unwell," chief executive Jenny Ward said.

"But protecting your baby from infection is never something you need to justify."

She said the charity's THANKS advice - think hands and no kisses - was designed to help families reduce the risk of infection.

"Wash your hands before touching your baby and don't kiss them if you are unwell," she said.

"Viruses are really common, particularly at this time of year, and while we can't avoid them all we can put some steps in place to reduce the chance of your baby getting unwell."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds , Facebook , X and Instagram .

Baby who got ill from mum's cold sore has transplant

Our daughters both died of herpes after Caesareans