"This is what happens [to] babies when [they've] been in contact with a cold sore," she writes in the caption. "Oliver now has the herpes virus and will have this for life."Herpes is a very common virus. About 70% of all adults in the U.S. have type 1 of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), the type that is most often associated with oral cold sore outbreaks. (Though herpes simplex virus type 2, associated with genital sores, can cause sores on the face as well.) Both types of the virus spread via skin-to-skin contact, often through sexual contact or kissing. Although rare , babies can indeed contract herpes from contact with someone who has cold sores.There is no cure for herpes, but outbreaks can be treated with medications that relieve pain and discomfort — and help prevent new outbreaks as well. In other words, for adults, herpes is a manageable disease, for the most part.But for babies, the consequences can be severe. Young children's immune systems haven't had the chance to develop as much as adults' immune systems, so babies are much more susceptible to severe outbreaks and dangerous symptoms. For infants, the virus can even spread to the liver, lungs, and brain.As Stinton notes, Oliver had to be hospitalized for four days and put on an IV drip. However, she reports in a comment on the post that he's "still very, very sore but better in himself."