Baby died from mother’s cold sore virus ‘after she was told by medics her ulcers were just hormonal’
Meg Edmonds says her newborn daughter Magnolia died from a widespread HSV-1 infection after health professionals reportedly described the sores in Edmonds’s mouth as hormonal or linked to dehydration. The case highlights the serious risks herpes can pose to newborns, who have little defence against the virus, and the importance of recognising possible infection.
Magnolia was born on 1 February and became unwell from her third day, developing sleepiness, breathing difficulties, a rash and a sore eye. She died in intensive care on 11 February after the virus caused multiple organ failure; blood tests confirmed HSV-1. The article says the virus spreads through direct contact with sores or infected saliva, not breast milk itself. It cites estimates that around two in three people under 50 carry HSV-1, while neonatal herpes affects about six in every 100,000 babies in the UK and Ireland.
- A newborn died after developing a severe HSV-1 infection.
- Her mother says her mouth sores were initially dismissed as hormonal.
- HSV-1 spreads through contact with sores or infected saliva.
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HSV-1 is a common virus that can cause cold sores around the mouth. It can spread through direct contact with a sore or infected saliva; the article says it is not spread through breast milk itself.
Newborn babies have little protection against infections, and herpes can be much more serious for them than for older children or adults. Neonatal herpes is rare: estimates cited in the article put it at about six cases for every 100,000 babies in the UK and Ireland.
Meg Edmonds says health professionals described sores in her mouth as hormonal or linked to dehydration. Her account raises questions about recognising possible infection around newborns and how quickly symptoms such as unusual sleepiness, breathing problems, a rash or a sore eye may need medical attention.