hsv1 transmission to 8 month old?

[balzac1000]

Dr. You were very helpful to me a few months ago with a question. I would appreciate your thoughts on the following... I am very aware that I get cold sores and never kiss my 8 month old son anywhere on the face, cold sore or no cold sore. However, I currently have a cold sore and today I was playing with him on the floor. He was using my body for support to stand and fell over. The palm of his hand landed directly on my mouth. I immediately grabbed his hand and thoroughly doused it with hand sanitizer and then I thoroughly washed it with soap and water and dried with a towel. He never touched his face or mouth as I had his hand in mine from the first second. Am I worrying too much that I may have spread the virus to him? His hand has fully intact skin with no abrasions. Once all the hand washing was complete, of course the first thing he did was put his thumb in his mouth because he was tired. Any thoughts?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome back to our Forum.  Dr. Handsfield and I share the Forum and as luck would have it I happened to pick up this question.  In preparing to answer your question, I read your earlier interaction with Dr. Handsfield and agree with all that he said.  My answer will have two parts, first relating to the risk to your son from having touched your cold sore with his hand and then a more general statement.  

There is very little risk of him becoming infected from the inadvertent contact his hand had with your cold sore.  The hand is far less vulnerable to infection than the skin of the lips and even had there been direct contact through kissing, the odds of transmission of infection are probably less than 1%.  For contact of his hand with your lip, this risk is probably less than 1 in 1000 or even 10,000.  The steps you took, if anything reduced the risk for this even further.

Further, as Dr. Handsfield mentioned, even were he to get HSV-1 at some point, it is just not that big a deal. Over 60% of the population has HSV-1 and it is just not a major problem for the majority of them.  On the other hand, please consider if your fear of infecting him is depriving one or both of your of the joys of a parent child relationship.  Please try to relax a bit.  I understand your concern and hope that your son will not become infected but even if he does, it is not the end of the world.  EWH

[balzac1000]

Understood

[Edward W Hook, MD]

In a lifetime persons are kissed thousands of times, often by more than one person. The transmission is a statistical event.  EWH

[balzac1000]

Why do we read so often that the smallest peck of a casual kiss will transfer this virus if it is actually less than 1% chance? Is this meant to ensure people avoid it entirely? I am 36 and got this virus 3 years ago so I haven't lived my whole life with it and am just now trying to learn all I can to be safe. It is very frequent for me also...

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The virus is quite dangerous to a neonate.,  At 8 months the danger to your son is no longer high.  Were he to get HSV, it might be a nuisance but typically it would not be highly dangerous to him.  EWH

[balzac1000]

Thanks... I guess I'm only so concerned because I know how dangerous the virus can be to an infant. Thank you for the reassurance