Aboveallislove
Super Moderator
Grandparents are hosting extended family bday celebration and will have cake and candles. Ds spits a lot when he blows out candles. Is that dangerous to others to eat? No one else has cf.
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Stupid question re cf spit on bday cake
- Thread starter Aboveallislove
- Start date
B
BreathinSteven
Guest
My gut feel is that it's probably not the best of situations... Perhaps they can have a separate, smaller cake for the candles and blowing-out ceremony -- and a larger one for the guests at the party to eat?? (If they or someone insists that DS should be blowing out his candles...)
If he has an active infection -- it's possible that he could impact someone else with a less robust immune system...
The likelihood of him spreading something to normal, healthy people is probably smallish -- but it exists... One of my infectious disease docs made an interesting point that infections are all about proliferation -- exposure to a small amount of bacteria can likely be handled and wiped out by our immune systems... It's when it's a larger amount, or the bacteria is allowed to fester/grow, or our immune systems are not strong enough to deal with that small amount and allow it to grow (immune compromised or suppressed... transplant... elderly... other issues...)
And -- the digestive tract is not the happiest place for bacteria to live... Acid in the stomach is going to wipe out a good amount of bacteria, though it's always possible for some to get through and thrive...
If there are other CFers that are guests -- I wouldn't even go there... The grandparents are possibly more at risk than most of the guests (unless it's an elderly crowd...) Ironically -- it can seem kinda ironic to others to try to enforce good sanitation and cleanliness around your son, to avoid spreading bugs he doesn't need, then have him spitting on their cake! ;-)
My gut feel is that it's probably not a big deal, and if someone is making a big deal about having it happen -- it's likely not going to hurt anyone... But, if you're aware he spits a lot, it would probably be prudent to skip that part of the celebration.
Love, Steve
If he has an active infection -- it's possible that he could impact someone else with a less robust immune system...
The likelihood of him spreading something to normal, healthy people is probably smallish -- but it exists... One of my infectious disease docs made an interesting point that infections are all about proliferation -- exposure to a small amount of bacteria can likely be handled and wiped out by our immune systems... It's when it's a larger amount, or the bacteria is allowed to fester/grow, or our immune systems are not strong enough to deal with that small amount and allow it to grow (immune compromised or suppressed... transplant... elderly... other issues...)
And -- the digestive tract is not the happiest place for bacteria to live... Acid in the stomach is going to wipe out a good amount of bacteria, though it's always possible for some to get through and thrive...
If there are other CFers that are guests -- I wouldn't even go there... The grandparents are possibly more at risk than most of the guests (unless it's an elderly crowd...) Ironically -- it can seem kinda ironic to others to try to enforce good sanitation and cleanliness around your son, to avoid spreading bugs he doesn't need, then have him spitting on their cake! ;-)
My gut feel is that it's probably not a big deal, and if someone is making a big deal about having it happen -- it's likely not going to hurt anyone... But, if you're aware he spits a lot, it would probably be prudent to skip that part of the celebration.
Love, Steve
Aboveallislove
Super Moderator
Thanks so much Steve! I frankly think its disgusting but figured if safe and they pushed, I'd go with it, but I'll just say not safe for there there and leave it at that. I'm pretty matter of fact and they don't push when I'm direct..
Twistofchaos
New member
Absolutely nothing to worry about.
Also I will assume DS is rather young.. and therefore does not have many years of hard antibiotics behind him to make his possible bacteria more dangerous/resistant in the first place.
More importantly it's good to realise many of the bacteria CF'ers can carry can be found anywhere in and around the house in huge quantities and therefore pose no threat to "healthy" people.
Imho this generation of information and caregiving on CF are going overboard with the emphasis on and fear for crossinfection. (Too little in the past. Too much now.)
Also I will assume DS is rather young.. and therefore does not have many years of hard antibiotics behind him to make his possible bacteria more dangerous/resistant in the first place.
More importantly it's good to realise many of the bacteria CF'ers can carry can be found anywhere in and around the house in huge quantities and therefore pose no threat to "healthy" people.
Imho this generation of information and caregiving on CF are going overboard with the emphasis on and fear for crossinfection. (Too little in the past. Too much now.)
Aboveallislove
Super Moderator
Thanks for additional perspective. To our knowledge, he only culture's staph, but grandparents have numerous health problems and meds which they are pretty close to chest about, so thinking I'll play it cool, "oh, he spits way too much" and safe and he'll still have candles for our bday celebration. And it's not like he'll even eat the cake himself as he still says "no thank you" to sweets.
We have friends whose daughter was a premie and has some on going health issues because of that. We recently went to a birthday party for her sister and they always do the big cake, take pictures of the B-day kid and cake ect... They then slice the cake and put candles in it for the b-day girl to blow out. Still only need one cake, and b-day girl/boy gets to blow out candles without spitting on everyone else's pieces.
Aboveallislove
Super Moderator
great idea!
LittleLab4CF
Super Moderator
We avoid sneezing or coughing on others and vice versa but allow blowing out a birthday cake. You're being extraordinarily thoughtful of others and if your little one is a juicy mouth, it probably would be appreciated by other parents. My concern is for DS, has he had a birthday party? Did he blow out a special cake solo? Unless DS really is a spitter when he blows out candles, I wouldn't be too worried. I've had the shared experience of not really wanting to eat a birthday cake because of an elderly person adding a little to the frosting. Almost everyone left the frosting alone and ate the cake.
Consider having a bakery make a confection birthday cake cover complete with plenty of candle bases for future years. Pop it over a cake or just use it for the ceremony and back in the cupboard for next year. I am certain everyone will be pleased either way. The frosting will kill any pathogen on contact assuming it's sugar based, but someone is bound to worry.
Happy Birthday,
LL
Consider having a bakery make a confection birthday cake cover complete with plenty of candle bases for future years. Pop it over a cake or just use it for the ceremony and back in the cupboard for next year. I am certain everyone will be pleased either way. The frosting will kill any pathogen on contact assuming it's sugar based, but someone is bound to worry.
Happy Birthday,
LL
Aboveallislove
Super Moderator
Yeah, but this is first year he has gotten swing of blowing...in the past he never did. But did it for dh bday cake. Didn't really think anything of it then eats we get his spit all the tie and yes he is a huge spitter.