That virus, cytomegalovirus, can cause blindness and
other defects in a baby born to a mom who contracts it during pregnancy. It's found in saliva and while it's normally not a problem, pregnancy is the exception."A pregnant woman can transmit the virus to her unborn baby," explains Dr. Tracy Zivin-Tutela, infectious disease specialist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. "Then it causes everything from problems with the developing nervous system to learning disabilities."
Could kissing be the answer? "Female inoculation with a specific male's cytomegalovirus is most efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange," University of Leeds researcher Dr. Colin Hendrie wrote in the journal "Medical Hypotheses," as reported in the Daily Telegraph.
With worries about the H1N1 virus widespread, social smooching may be on the wane these days.
Does it make sense to minimize physical contact, not just kissing but hugs or handshakes?
If you are within 6 feet of someone who is actively infectious (coughing, sneezing, fever, runny nose), then you're at increased risk for getting the flu, Zivin-Tutela says. "That goes for the seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu," she explains. "The most important way to protect yourself is not to touch your hands, face and nose."
