Why Should You Avoid Kissing Your Child On The Mouth?

You will surely have seen a mother kiss her son on the mouth. There are very loving mothers who like to show their love in this way. Whether you’ve witnessed a similar scene or done it yourself, have you wondered if this expression of affection is healthy?

Obviously there are those who are in favor of this practice and those who are against it. If you have any doubts about it, the best thing you can do is inform yourself. Here is all the information you need about kissing on the mouth between parents and children.

Kissing the child on the mouth: a show of affection

Motherhood can be such a rewarding experience that we will often have a tendency to express our affection in a very expansive way. And many times we do not think of anything more tender and sweet than kissing the child on the mouth.
The fact that children accept these kisses with great joy and pleasure pushes us to continue until it becomes a real habit.  It is healthy?
As human beings, when we talk about health we need to distinguish between emotional health and physical health. When we ask ourselves whether or not it is healthy to kiss our baby on the mouth, we will have to give two answers.

Physical health

Although physical contact with the baby is recommended to strengthen the mother-child bond, both for the mother and for the baby, from a physical point of view this practice is not advisable. In fact, through mouth-to-mouth contact, viruses and bacteria that are harmful to the health of the child can be transmitted.
Let us remember that our body is much stronger than his, having already developed adequate immune defenses. For this reason , doctors recommend not kissing babies on the mouth.

A question of hygiene

Many contagious diseases are transmitted through kissing, from flu to mononucleosis. There is even the risk of causing short and medium term problems to the baby’s gums.

When we wet our lips, which happens very often during the day, we become potential carriers of viruses or bacteria which, if contracted by the baby, risk having catastrophic effects on him.

There have been cases of parents who have transmitted to their child diseases such as cytomegalovirus or other viral diseases contracted through saliva droplets, a handshake with another person or a sneeze in the forearm.

Emotional health

The kiss gives the baby a pleasant sensation, as it reminds him of what he felt when he suckled from his mother’s breast. The contact with the lips is similar and makes him feel satisfied. While this may seem positive at first glance, it is not.

Even though it is a show of tenderness and affection on our part, the kiss on the mouth may be confusing for the baby as he grows up, as he will realize that it is a show of affection reserved for the partner.
Although in many countries the practice of kissing the child on the mouth is normal, it is okay to respect the tradition, but the ideal would be to abandon this habit little by little, to avoid putting our children in uncomfortable situations.

The little ones, in fact, for whom there is no filter, could get confused and think they can kiss all the people who are part of their life on the mouth. We parents have to teach them that affection is expressed in different ways, and that only mum and dad can kiss each other on the mouth.
According to experts, a kiss on the mouth can send a wrong message to a child between the ages of 3 and 11, sometimes even causing trauma that will affect adolescence or adult life.

So can’t I kiss my baby?

This is not recommended. If we really care about our child’s health, it is best to avoid kissing him on the mouth. Pediatric infectious disease experts insist that it is best to abandon this habit to prevent the child from contracting diseases.

Also, there are many ways to show our love, you just need to find them.

Recommendations

Avoid kissing your baby on the mouth, wash your hands well, don’t blow on his food, and don’t lend him your toothbrush. Avoid chewing their food when you start weaning, better use a blender to avoid the transmission of germs and viruses.

Remember, you already have the antibodies needed to fight aggression and disease. Your baby, on the other hand, does not yet have these immune defenses.