Whooping Cough in Infants

Whooping cough is an infection of the respiratory tract that is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Hence it is also known as pertussis. This is an infectious disease that spreads through droplets in the air from coughing and sneezing. Although it may affect adults, whooping cough in infants is very common. However, with the discovery of the whooping cough vaccine, the cases of whooping cough in infants have decreased significantly. Nevertheless, whooping cough in infants can become serious and in some cases even turn fatal.

Signs of Whooping Cough in Infants
Symptoms of whooping cough in infants start as those of common cold. Sneezing, runny nose, mild fever and coughing are some of the whooping cough symptoms in infants that appear during the first two weeks of the infection. However, as the infection becomes severe, an infant has bouts of coughing that bring up phlegm. These attacks are more frequent during the night. At the end of these bursts of cough, as an infant breathes in, the characteristic 'whoop' sound is heard. Hence the name whooping cough. During such attacks of coughing an infant may turn blue due to lack of oxygen. These episodes may be accompanied with vomiting and signs of exhaustion are evident in an infant. This stage usually lasts for 6 weeks. However, in some cases, it may extend up to 10 weeks.

Prevention of Whooping Cough in Infants
Whooping cough can be prevented by administering vaccination. Also known as the pertussis vaccine, the whooping cough vaccine is a part of the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis) vaccination that are given in five doses before the child becomes six years old. It is also advised that children between 11 to 12 years be given the booster shot of the new combination vaccine Tdap to provide additional protection in case immunity from the initial whooping cough vaccine fails. Some common side effects of the DTaP vaccine that a child may suffer from are fever, redness or swelling of the area where the vaccine was given, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Treatment for Whooping Cough in Infants
Antibiotics are effective in relieving symptoms of whooping cough if administered in the early stages of the infection. Although in the later stages, these medicines are less effective, they are important as they help in clearing out the bacteria from the child's secretions. This reduces the risk of the disease spreading to other members of the family.

Other than waiting for the coughing to subside (which may take 1 to 2 weeks) there is hardly any other whooping cough treatment that parents or a doctor can resort to. Cough suppressants must be avoided unless advised by the physician as coughing is body's mechanism of clearing out mucus.

In case the infection becomes serious and the infant does not respond to antibiotics, hospitalization may be required. This is typically the case with infants. In the hospital the child may be put on oxygen and given intravenous liquids to prevent dehydration. For older children, bed rest and antibiotics usually work fine.

Complications of Whooping Cough in Infants
Infants, usually those under 6 months, are susceptible to complications like secondary bacterial pneumonia which refers to pneumonia that is caused after another infection of the lungs. Other complications include seizures, asthma, dehydration, ear infections, injury to chest muscles due to excessive coughing and encephalopathy due to insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain caused by the episodes of coughing. Although older children and also adults can develop complications due to whooping cough, infants are the worst affected. In certain cases infants succumb to it due to such complications. Read more on facts about pertussis.

Although most common in infants, even adults can suffer form whooping cough once the effect of the vaccine wears off. However, since whooping cough in infants can be very serious and even cause death, timely immunization against the pertussis bacteria is the best step to fight the infection.