Yesterday my kiddos came home with a letter from the school regarding a suspected case of whooping cough in the school. I figured it would be a good time to share with all of you the signs of whooping cough (pertussis) and how it differs from a regular cold. And what facts to remember about the infection.
With both a cold and whooping cough, symptoms include:
- runny nose
- sneezing
- mild cough
- low-grade fever
After approximately a week or two, your child’s coughing will progress to coughing spells that may last over a minute each time and may cause your child to turn red or blue. When your child breathes in, she may make a whooping-like sound and she may even vomit. These coughing fits may last from two to four weeks following the first one to two weeks of normal cold symptoms.
FACTS TO REMEMBER:
- If your child has not had all five doses of the vaccine that helps prevent whooping cough, she may be need a booster if exposed to someone who is already infected.
- Young children, including infants, tend to be more at risk than older children.
- Whooping cough is very contagious and can be contagious for up to two weeks.
- Antibiotics can reduce the length of contagiousness by five days and they will need to be taken for two weeks. Experts feel that the antibiotics will shorten the duration of the infection only if given when symptoms first start and not when the severe coughing attacks begin. If given during the later stage, it may not lessen the duration but will prevent your child from spreading the infection to others.
- Whooping cough is contracted from laughing, sneezing and coughing.
- The incubation period, which occurs between the time you contract the infection to when symptoms becomes apparent, is usually between seven to ten days but can be as long as 21 days.
- The recovery period may take a few weeks up to a few months.
- Some children may require hospitalization if they contract the infection because of the greater risk of complications, including Pneumonia, difficulty breathing normally, dehydration, etc.
- Cough medicines usually do not help with whooping cough.
- Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room if they have the infection. (Make sure you’ve cleaned your humidifier properly to make sure there’s no mold growth in it.)
- Offer your child small, frequent meals, along with frequent drinks to prevent dehydration. (Signs of dehydration to watch for include an increased thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, dry tongue and mouth, dry skin, no tears when crying, and fewer wet diapers/fewer trips to the bathroom.)
Photo courtesy of StephenieFry.