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The parents of a newborn infant have warned people not to kiss babies that aren’t theirs after their daughter nearly died from a cold that developed into a serious infection.
Eight-week-old Eliza Hobbs from Durham, England, spent five days in a medically induced coma in November after a sniffle became a serious chest infection.
Now Eliza’s parents, Thomas and Sophie, are urging other parents to make sure they wrap their babies up warm and don’t let other people kiss them after sharing a shocking video of doctors performing CPR to keep their daughter alive.
“A simple affectionate kiss could have killed our baby,” Thomas said.
“The message I want to get out there is if anyone has a cold, don’t let them kiss your baby. It can be passed on through colds, cold sores, viruses,” he added.
He further stresses that people should remember the simple things like washing their hands more regularly when they have a cold.
Eliza had been “sniffing” five days when Thomas found her looking pale and lifeless in her cot.
“There was this feeling of dread and absolute fear. We were thinking is she going to pull through or is this the end for her?” he said.
“When we got to the hospital she was put into a little cot and on high flow oxygen.”
When the baby turned blue in the face 20 doctors rushed in to perform CPR on her tiny body.
“She stopped breathing for about a minute but they managed to bring her back round,” Thomas said.
Eliza was transferred to another hospital where she was placed into a medically induced coma.
“It was the worst scenario we could imagine. We just stood at the end of the bed and couldn’t take our eyes off her.
“She was in a coma for five days and three or four times they had to perform CPR because she stopped breathing.”
The parents breathed a huge sigh of relief when little Eliza came round and was able to breathe on her own again.
“When she came round properly she couldn’t cry. She sounded like a purring kitten because of the swelling on her chest and in her windpipe,” Thomas explained.
“Every day she’s getting a bit better and less chesty. Bringing her home was amazing – just being able to give her that safety and security and she could become part of the family.”
Source: Magazine Features
Pictures: CATERS/WWW.MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
