A child was left permanently paralysed after being kissed on the mouth when she was just two days old.
Breelyn, who is now eight years old, was a healthy and happy newborn but became extremely ill after someone kissed her on the mouth.
The individual - who had a cold sore at the time - ended up giving the infant HSV encephalitis - an illness associated with cerebral dysfunction caused by herpes simplex viruses belonging to either type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2).
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Breelyn's immune system 'was not developed' and the infection sadly went on to 'attack her brain' and left her with a 'severe traumatic brain injury'.
Her mother has since shared an urgent warning to fellow parents that there is real danger in kissing a baby, especially on the mouth, in a video on the 'Special Books by Special Kids' YouTube channel.
"When parents say not to kiss your children, this is one of the reasons for sure," the mum explained.
She continued: "[Breelyn] was born healthy. She was fine. And at two days old, somebody was so excited to see her that they kissed her on the mouth, and two weeks later we started having seizures."
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Explaining some more about how the kiss went on to cause Breelyn's brain injury, the mum said: "The infection got into her brain fluid and it attacked her brain.
"It attacked the left side of her brain mostly. It had just started moving over to the right side when we caught it."
"More or less, the encephalitis ate away at her brain tissue," she added.
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Elsewhere in the video, the mum also opened up about the extent of the damage caused - namely that 60 percent of the left part of the young girl's brain was left damaged, while 10 percent of the right side was.
Breelyn is now unable to walk or talk and is 'not expected to live into adulthood' but, despite this, her mum has forgiven the person who kissed her as a newborn.
"You know, it was an accident and they didn't truly mean it," she said.
The NHS has issued its official advice on neonatal herpes, warning that the younger the baby, the more vulnerable they are to the harmful effects of infection.
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The neonatal herpes infection, caused by the herpes simplex virus, is 'rare in the UK' however the virus itself is 'very common' and causes cold sores and genital ulcers in adults.
Neonatal herpes can be prevented by following some simple advice.
According to the NHS, if you're pregnant and have a history of genital herpes, you should inform your doctor or midwife.
The official website states: "You may need to take medicine during the last month of pregnancy to prevent an outbreak of vaginal sores during labour.
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"Delivery by caesarean section is recommended if the genital herpes has occurred for the first time in the last six weeks of your pregnancy."
If you develop a cold sore or have any signs of a herpes infection, take these precautions:
- do not kiss any babies
- wash your hands before contact with a baby
- wash your hands before breastfeeding
- cover up any cold sores, lesions or signs of a herpes infection anywhere on your body to avoid passing on the virus
Find out more about neonatal herpes here.
Rhiannon Ingle