A Newborn Just Died of a Virus Caught By a Kiss—And Now Her Mother Is Warning Others

From Woman’s Day

A three-week-old baby just passed away in an Iowa City hospital due to a virus most likely caught by a simple kiss.

The baby’s parents, Shane and Nicole Sifrit, didn’t expect for things to take a turn for the worse when their daughter, Mariana, was born on July 1, WQAD reports. However, one week later, Mariana wasn’t eating and seemed lethargic. That’s when the parents rushed their newborn to the hospital, where they discovered she had contracted meningitis HSV1, a form of meningitis caused by the herpes simplex virus. “Within two hours, she had quit breathing and all of her organs just started to fail,” her parents told WQAD.

“She has a kidney team, a liver team, a blood team, a neurology team,” Mariana’s father told WQAD. “I always thought this stuff happens and it’s a shame [but] never thought it would happen to me and was not prepared at all.” Both parents tested negative for the virus, which means that it could have been passed to Mariana by a visiting relative or friend.

After being admitted to the hospital on July 10, Mariana’s condition deteriorated, and she was put on life support. Sadly, on July 18, Nicole posted on Facebook that Mariana had passed away, writing “our princess Mariana Reese Sifrit gained her angel wings at 8:41 am this morning in her daddy’s arms and her mommy right beside her. She is now no longer suffering and is with the Lord.”

? Our princess Mariana Reese Sifrit gained her angel wings at 8:41 am this morning in her daddy’s arms and her mommy…

Posted by Nicole Sifrit on Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Unfortunately, this isn’t a totally uncommon occurrence. In 2015, a new mom from England shared shocking photos of her newborn daughter covered with cold sores. She explained that if she hadn’t noticed the early signs of the virus, the results could have been fatal. According to the New York State Department of Health, HSV-1 can seem mild as first in babies, with a fever and cold sores showing up before more serious effects take place, such as seizures and lethargic behavior.

“The first two months after a child is born are very critical, as a virus can rapidly spread and cause serious illness in newborns,” Dr. Tanya Altmann, a pediatrician at Calabasas Pediatrics in California, told CNN, adding that “viral meningitis is transmitted through close casual contact … It is very common to catch the virus, but very rarely does it develop into meningitis.”

“Keep your babies isolated, don’t let just anyone come visit them, and make sure they are constantly washing their hands,” Mariana’s parents told WQAD as a warning to new parents. “Don’t let people kiss your baby, and make sure they ask before they pick up your baby.”

(h/t WSB-TV)

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