Cold sore/Herpes simplex
Despite their name, cold sores have nothing to do with a cold other than the fact that the cold affects the immune system and reduces the resistance to infection, allowing the herpes simplex virus to activate.
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Primary herpes simplex infection may occur in young children. This is an acute illness with a very high fever, lots of painful mouth ulcers and great difficulty swallowing.
What to do
If you notice a herpes blister coming up, get some acyclovir (Zovirax) cream, available as an over-the-counter medicine, as soon as possible. If painted on to the affected area early enough, this can contain or minimize the attack of herpes.
The herpes virus is passed on by direct contact. Most children who get cold sores, usually around the lips, nose and possibly on the cheeks and chin, get them from adults who kiss them. It is quite common if one parent in the family has a cold sore for other members of the family to catch the virus from that one parent; it is equally possible for your child to infect others.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 03.11.2010
- Asthma
- Colic
- Child conjunctivitis
- Coughing
- Cradle cap
- Croup
- Cuts and grazes
- Diarrhoea
- Drowsiness
- Earache
- Eczema
- Balanitis
- Epilepsy
- Fever
- Fingers caught in door
- Gluten sensitivity
- Hayfever
- Measles
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- Mumps
- Nose bleeds
- Pneumococcal infection
- Bites
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- Roseola infantum
- Rubella (German measles)
- Scarlet fever
- Seizures
- Sleep-walking
- Splinters
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- Sticky eye
- Blisters
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- Squints
- Sunburn
- Teething
- Thread worms
- Tonsillitis
- Toxocara
- Urticaria
- Vomiting
- Bruise
- Warts
- Whooping cough (Pertussis)
- Burns
- Catarrh and runny nose
- Chicken pox
- Colds
- Cows' milk protein allergy
- Feeding problems in babies
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