You said that you have a little baby that loves to give you kisses on the lips, and you’re wondering if you can allow for this or if you should continue to turn your cheek so that your baby is kissing your cheek instead. And there are varying opinions on this topic. Should you kiss your baby on the lips or not? And there’s good reasons for this. Some say that it’s totally fine and the risks are small and slim, but there are a few risks to consider. So, for one, anyone you kiss, whether it be an adult, a child, or a baby, there’s a chance to transmit illness. For example, if you have a cold and you kiss or share utensils with someone, then there’s the potential that you can pass that illness along. And babies, of course, they have developing immune systems, and a simple cold for an adult could be very serious for a young baby.
If you have a cold sore, definitely don’t kiss your baby or anyone else for that matter until the blisters have totally crusted over and everything’s healed. A third consideration is passing germs from your mouth to your baby’s mouth, and it’s a fact that everyone has germs in their mouth, but the type and the amount differ from an adult to a baby. And so when you kiss your baby, there’s a possibility of transferring those germs, and that can increase the chances of them having cavities. So basically, it’s up to you. You know the risks, and if you feel like you’re not sick, and nothing else is going on that might pose a risk to your baby, and you want to give them a little kiss, then that’s okay. But it is good to be aware of these risks. If you have any more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.
