PLEASE DON’T KISS MY BABY!

As innocent as it might seem, kissing a baby on the lips can have ghastly consequences, writes Pearl Rantsekeng

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING about the lips of a baby that says “Kiss me!”

Yet, as sweet and loving as the kiss may be, it can have dire consequences, warns a Johannesburg dentist.

Kissing on the lips is an expression of affection, but many infectious diseases are transmitted that way. It can also lead to dental decay.

According to Dr Kometsi Mokuele streptococcus mutans, a bacterium carried by saliva, can be transmitted when we kiss our children on the mouth. This bacterium is the main contributor to decay and the breaking down of your tooth enamel, and is found on most tooth surfaces – especially the difficult areas to clean, like pits and fissures.

“This means that it can be passed on from one person to another or in this case from mother to child.

“A mother or baby-minder can easily infect a baby’s mouth from sharing a spoon with the baby, or by her licking the dummy prior to giving it to the baby or possibly through kisses on the lips. Babies as young as six months could be condemned to tooth decay due to kissing,” says Mokuele.

DON’T KISS BABY’S FACE

According to Mokuele mothers who protest against their baby being kissed on the lips are often regarded as snobbish or unfriendly.

“What people don’t realise is that the mother’s intentions are good and that her baby’s health is her first priority.

“For starters, a newborn’s immune system is still at its weakest. Even a yearold baby’s immunity is still not strong,” says Mokuele.

For instance, some of the people who might want to kiss the baby, might have cold sores. The sores, he adds, are most dangerous when the blister has burst and is open. He says herpes fever can be associated with meningitis while if the baby is kissed by someone suffering from TB this can lead to a microbial infection. Microbes cause infectious diseases such as flu and measles. Swine flu can also be transmitted this way.

“A mother with a cold sore who is breastfeeding should also take great care with her hygiene, not touching the sore and then the breast.

“The people who comfort a child most in the first years of life are either the mom or the childminder.

“How many of us actually ever take our childminders for a thorough oral hygiene check? We only do it when the pain makes them morbid. We need to do these things, like mouth prophylaxes (cleaning of the teeth by a dentist or dental hygienist) without being invasive. The mouth can harbour a lot of infections,” explains Dr Mokuele.

10 REASONS NOT TO KISS BABY ON THE FACE

1. Food allergies. If your child is allergic, your kiss could set off an auto-immune response, for example if you’ve had gluten. Did you know that some lipsticks contain gluten? 2. Children not only develop cavities because they don’t brush and floss their teeth, they can also develop cavities because we kiss them. Our saliva carries a bacteria known for causing cavities in their tiny teeth and these are usually then discovered at their first dentist appointments. 3. Sharing food with our children can have the same effect as kissing, as we pass saliva on. So, make sure when blowing food to cool it off not to spray saliva on it as well. 4. Avoid visiting friends and relatives with babies when you have any small sign of illness in order not to share your germs. And postpone visits from ill relatives to your house when you have a small baby. 5. Stomach viruses are usually extremely contagious, so one kiss from an adult who is carrying the virus is all it takes to put a child in harm’s way. 6. Hand, foot and mouth disease is very common and most kids will experience a bout of it at some point. However, parents should work to help their child avoid it if they can, since it is uncomfortable for a child and extremely contagious. 7. Many babies are born into families with older siblings who attend school or crèche and can come into contact with germs. Talk to your children about not touching or kissing their little sibling’s face, then set an example by asking adults to follow the same rule. 8. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, can be fatal for children, especially newborns and infants. Symptoms can take days or weeks to emerge and an adult or older child can have the condition but show no signs. By the time they know they have pertussis, they may have already kissed a small child. 9. Do not share cutlery or “wash” the baby’s dummies with your own spit. 10. People touching the baby must wash their hands thoroughly and if you have a cold sore and have to carry the baby, cover it! YB