Even though visiting a newborn is among the most exciting moments for friends and family alike, one labor and delivery nurse is issuing a stern reminder: please don’t kiss that baby, under any circumstances. That’s right—as much as you may want to, no kissing newborns that aren’t yours.
Of course, we understand how tempting it is to snuggle up to a little one and give them a big ‘ol smooch, but it’s simply too risky, as L&D nurse Lauren recently shared on TikTok.
“Something that drives me absolutely nuts as a labor and delivery nurse is when I see the family come in and kiss the newborn babies,” she began. “Please don’t do that.”
“I can see it coming. Mamaw’s across the way; she’s got that baby in her crosshairs like she’s a freaking fighter pilot. Target acquired,” she continued, half-joking. “That’s a negative, Ghost Rider. That pattern is full; simmer down. Put those lethal lips away. Do not kiss that baby.”
All jokes aside, Lauren explained that she doesn’t “think a lot of people realize that this can cause a lot of harm to a baby. It can kill a baby. It can kill your relationship with their parents if you cannot keep your mouth off of them. Those new parents might be coming after you, and it’s valid. It’s valid. I’ll stand by them.”
“These babies do not need to be kissed by you to know that they are loved,” she added about kissing newborns. “You can hold them, you can snuggle them. Keep your lips off their face, off their hands. Don’t do it.”
It might not seem like a big deal to kiss a newborn baby, but the risks are too great, even outside of cold and flu season. As Shannon Glenn-Otto, M.D., a general pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, explained to Johns Hopkins Medicine, new parents might want to hold off on having visitors for the first two or three months, since newborns have not yet developed immunity to bacteria and viruses yet. This means they’re more susceptible to developing serious infections, due to the fact that their blood-brain barrier (which prevents infectious pathogens from entering the brain) has not yet fully developed. There’s also a good chance they are not fully vaccinated yet, as babies cannot get certain vaccines—namely, COVID and flu—until they are six months of age.
Each new parent will have their own comfort levels and boundaries they’d like to set with their baby, so adhering to whatever they ask you to do is a necessity, especially in those crucial early weeks. Aside from skipping the smooches, you’ll want to ensure you’re up-to-date on your own vaccines, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water prior to holding them, and staying home if you have any symptoms of illness, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, vomiting, or diarrhea. Wearing a mask adds another protective layer, even if you’re not feeling under the weather.
With cold and flu season rapidly approaching, it’s just not worth the risk. So doing everything you can to protect the new little love in your life is of utmost importance—no matter how tempting it might be to plant a kiss on their face, hands, or feet.
