Why do we need to keep babies safe from infection?
Babies have immature immune systems which means they’re more at risk of infections, especially in their first few weeks of life.
Infections that might be mild in older children or adults can be serious in babies and can even be life-threatening, so it’s important to take steps to keep them safe.
How can you protect babies from getting infections?
There are some key things that everyone can do to help prevent serious infections in babies, including any friends and family who might visit you and your baby. Follow THANKS – Think Hands And No KisseS.
T • H • A • N • K • S
Think Hands And No KisseS.
Always remember to:
- Wash your hands before touching a baby
- Only kiss a new baby if you’re their parent or main carer.
And if you or any visitors are ill:
- Don’t visit a baby if you are ill or have been ill recently. This includes active cold sores as well as diarrhoea and vomiting illnesses.
- Stay away until you are fully recovered. This is a key part of keep babies safe from infection.
- Ask visitors to do the same. If you have a baby, make sure friends and family know when it’s best to stay away to protect your baby.
What are the signs of infection in babies?
It can be difficult to tell when your baby has an infection or if your baby is unwell as they can cause lots of different signs and symptoms. You know your baby best, so trust your instincts and, if you feel that something’s not quite right, contact your midwife, health visitor, GP or NHS 111. If you’re very worried, go to an emergency department.
They appear floppy
They are irritable and won't settle
They have a mottled or blotchy appearance
They have difficulty breathing
Or are breathing in an unusual way, such as: fast, noisily, ‘sucking in’ under the ribs, grunting or wheezing.
They have a rash, sores or blisters
On their skin, eyes, inside their mouth or around their tummy button.
They have a temperature
Above 38°C or below 36°C, or their body is cold to the touch.
They have a high-pitched or abnormal cry
What to tell your health professional
If you think your baby might have an infection, it’s important to tell your health professional anything they might need to know – even if they don’t ask. Being open will help them diagnose and treat your baby. Let them know anything during pregnancy or after birth that might be relevant, including the following.
If the person who gave birth:
- Had any illnesses during pregnancy, such as flu-like symptoms.
- Missed any routine vaccinations in pregnancy, such as COVID-19, RSV, influenza or pertussis vaccines.
- Had chicken pox seven days before or after baby’s birth.
- Has blisters or a rash on their breast/nipple (if breastfeeding).
- Has ever had a genital herpes infection, even if they don’t have symptoms at the moment.
- Had sexual contact with a new partner during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester.
- Had symptoms of sexually transmitted disease during pregnancy.
- Travelled overseas during pregnancy.
If you or your baby:
- Have tested positive for Group B Strep.
If your baby has had contact with anyone who:
- Had chicken pox.
- Had an active cold sore.
More information - spotting/preventing infections
We have several free resources available to help you spot and prevent infection. The below resources might help you, too.
Herpes simplex virus in a newborn baby is called neonatal herpes or neonatal HSV. In young babies who have immature immune systems, HSV infections can spread quickly if left untreated. This causes cell damage which can lead to permanent disability and can even be fatal. Recognising and treating neonatal herpes simplex virus early is essential.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is very common and highly contagious and usually spreads from person to person by direct contact. Around 70% of adults in the UK carry the HSV virus and many have no symptoms at all, but in others it can lead to cold sores, blisters on the finger (called herpetic whitlow) or genital ulcers/sores. Infections on other areas of the body including the breast are also possible, but less common.
In older children and adults with normal immune systems, HSV infections are not normally serious and get better without treatment.
Find out more:
Group B Strep is one of the many bacteria that normally live in our bodies and usually cause no harm. It can be passed from person to person through direct physical contact, but it’s not a sexually transmitted disease.
Testing for Group B Strep is not routinely offered to pregnant women in the UK. It’s often found by chance after a swab or urine test for another reason. Even if you carry Group B Strep, it is unlikely that your baby will develop this infection, but the risk of your baby becoming unwell is higher if your baby is premature, if you have signs of infection in labour, or if your labour hasn’t started more than 24 hours after your waters break.
Most early-onset Group B Strep infections can be prevented by antibiotics during labour. You should be offered these if you have tested positive for Group B Strep in pregnancy or if you have previously had a baby affected by a Group B Strep infection.
Find out more:
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that almost all children will have before they’re two years old. The virus is very contagious and causes cold-like symptoms such as runny or blocked nose, cough, sneezing, and high temperature, so parents often don’t know they’re caused by RSV.
The symptoms usually last one to three weeks, but if the lungs are affected, the symptoms can get worse and lead to bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia.
RSV can cause critical illness, particularly in babies who are born premature, or have other illnesses or underlying conditions. The risk of a serious infection falls as a baby gets older.
Find out more:
The Institute of Health Visiting have created some resources in response to the increase in respiratory illnesses such as Bronchiolitis, Strep A and Flu. These are in accessible formats and are designed to help you decide when to seek further help from your GP, health visitor, pharmacist or local emergency department.
Read more:
You may have spotted an adorable little otter on some of resources for preventing and spotting infections in babies. This very special otter symbolises the work of the Kit Tarka Foundation, whose guidance has been developed to create these important resources.
Kit Tarka Foundation was established in 2018 by Sarah and James de Malplaquet after their son Kit Tarka died at just 13 days old.
Kit’s story
After discovering that Kit had died from neonatal herpes (the cold sore virus in babies), Sarah set out to learn as much as she could about the disease. She was astonished by the lack of awareness amongst the general public and the huge gaps in knowledge about symptoms and best practice in the UK medical profession. It soon became clear that Kit’s death had been preventable and that the lack of knowledge around the transmission, recognition and treatment of the virus had led to his tragic and untimely death.
Improving understanding around protecting babies safe from infection
After contacting several charities to see if they could facilitate long overdue research into neonatal herpes, but being told it was not within the scope of any of them, Sarah and James decided they needed to establish their own charity to help prevent more tragedies like Kit’s.
To that end, they launched the Kit Tarka Foundation with a mission to prevent newborn baby deaths through research and education, and deepen understanding around how to keep babies safe from infection.
With the sad news that Kit Tarka Foundation was winding down its activities in 2023, The Lullaby Trust felt the work of this wonderful charity would fit perfectly with our own mission of saving more babies lives.
With our team of infant infection specialists, we have further developed the fantastic work of the Kit Tarka Foundation to widen the scope and cover a greater range of infant infections, with to the goal of ensuring this life saving information reaches as may families as possible.
Why an otter?
Kit was given the middle name Tarka for Sarah’s love of swimming and James’ love of otters. He was their little otter who never got to swim. They noticed from the clothes that Kit wore that they also really liked the colour orange, and it became his colour. Friends and family wore orange flowers in remembrance of Kit at his funeral.
In memory of Kit and to recognise the outstanding work of the Kit Tarka Foundation, and with kind permission, we are happy to share that this little otter has joined us at The Lullaby Trust to help keep babies safe from infections.
Baby Check app
Peace of mind in your pocket.
Our Baby Check is free and features 17 simple checks you can do if your baby is showing signs of illness. Each check tests for a different symptom and, when completed, the app lets you know whether your baby needs to see a health professional.
Remember to trust your parenting instincts, as you know your baby best. If you feel that something’s not quite right, contact your midwife, health visitor, GP or NHS 111. If you’re very worried, go to an emergency department.
Frequently asked questions
We’ve created the Baby Check app for parents of babies up to six months of age. It includes a series of checks and questions that test for different symptoms, and lets parents know whether their baby needs to see a health professional. Find out more about the Baby Check app.
It can feel awkward asking people not to kiss your baby, and to wash their hands before touching or holding them. Here are a number of phrases that might help you word your request:
We're asking all visitors to wash their hands as they arrive.
It's now recommended that visitors wash their hands before touching new babies.
Yes, you can hold her, but would you mind not giving her a kiss? Apparently babies' immune systems aren't ready for that yet.
My midwife told me that only people in our household should kiss him, so we're trying to stick to that.
The Lullaby Trust's advice is to 'Think Hands And No KisseS'. It helps protect babies from infections, so we're asking everyone to follow that.
Remember
Being a new parent means you will naturally want to protect your baby, including from getting ill. Follow the THANKS guidelines to help protect them, and let any friends, family or visitors know about them too.
You know your baby best so trust your instincts if you think something’s not right. As babies are more vulnerable to infections, especially when they’re very young, it’s important to get help straight away. The signs and symptoms listed here will help you spot when an infection might be serious, plus you can download the Baby Check app which can tell you when it’s time to seek help.
Every baby safe. Every family supported.
If you found this information helpful, consider donating today to help us reach and help the next parent or carer, just like you. Your kindness will:
- Empower families with trusted advice on keeping their baby safe
- Support grieving families through the darkest days of their lives
- Fund research seeking answers into sudden and unexpected deaths of babies and young children
- Take us one step closer to a world where no baby dies suddenly or unexpectedly