Whooping Cough Awareness: Keeping Infants Safe and Healthy
Did you know that whooping cough has been on the rise this year?
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. This causes severe coughing spells, which can result in a “whooping” sound when the child breathes in. It mainly affects babies younger than 6 months old who aren’t fully protected by immunizations, but it can also affect older children including teens.
What Are Typical Symptoms?
Early symptoms typically resemble those of a common cold. It may include:
Runny nose
Sneezing
Dry cough
Low-grade fever
After 1 to 2 weeks, the dry cough may change into a coughing spell that lasts more than a minute. During this spell, a child may turn red or even purple. It’s usually towards the end of a spell that a child makes the characteristic whooping sound when breathing in. Most children and teens look and act completely fine during this phase except for the occasional prominent bouts of coughing.
Infants and younger children with whooping cough have coughing fits and accompanying whoops – however not all do. Infants may not cough or make the sounds that older children with whooping cough do, so you may find that they look red in the face and stop breathing momentarily.
When Should I Call the Doctor?
If a coughing illness is associated with difficulty breathing, long pauses in breathing, or turning blue.
If a coughing illness lasts longer than 7-10 days
If your child has a cough and has had known exposure to a person with whooping cough (pertussis).
How Can My Child Be Tested for Whooping Cough?
The doctor can order a nasal swab that tests for the pertussis bacteria. The test typically takes 1-3 days to confirm the infection. There are also more modern tests that use PCR technology which can return a result in an hour or less.
How Can Whooping Cough Be Treated?
Whooping cough can be treated with an antibiotic called azithromycin. For children who are allergic to azithromycin, there are alternatives.
It is important to note that while the antibiotic will eradicate the bacteria, your child’s cough can still linger for many weeks. This is because the airways will continue to slough off dead cells as a result of the infection, and the cough helps to clear these cells from the lungs.
Can Whooping Cough Be Prevented?
Whooping cough can be prevented with the pertussis vaccine, which is part of the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) immunization in younger children and TdaP immunization in teens. Immunizations are routinely given in doses from 2 months to 18 months, then again at age 11.
Receiving the vaccine is crucial for people who have close contact with infants. Pregnant mothers typically receive the vaccine around 28 weeks of pregnancy, but fathers should be encouraged to receive the vaccination shortly before or after the baby’s birth as well. This is due to the severity of the effects that result from whooping cough, which may even result in life-threatening problems.
Similar to children, an adult’s immunity to whooping cough lessens over time, so it’s important to stay up to date with booster shots, as this protects infants and children from infection as well. Boosters are recommended every 5-10 years.
In conclusion, whooping cough is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious consequences, particularly for infants. Prevention is key – it’s important to get vaccinated and be informed of the signs and symptoms.
