What is Whooping Cough?

Whooping cough was common among children decades ago. It was a major cause of death and chronic lung and brain damage. Children are now routinely immunised and whooping cough is uncommon.

What causes Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is caused by an infection of a very contagious bacteria called bordetella pertussis. A few cases are reported most years and there are epidemics about every four years.

Who is affected by Whooping Cough?

All children who have not been vaccinated are vulnerable to whooping cough. Children under six months are the most severely affected.

Whooping cough symptoms

The incubation period between exposure and symptoms is about seven days. Thereafter symptoms are similar to a cold, with a runny nose, mild fever and a dry night-time cough. A pattern of coughing spasms develops, with a series of short coughs followed by a sudden drawing-in of breath that makes the characteristic whooping sound (the whoop may not be heard in small babies).

The bouts of coughing, which are predominantly at night, often end in vomiting. In babies, the spasms of coughing may occur after feeding. During the coughing spasm, the child may go red or blue in the face and copious amounts of mucus may be produced from the nose or mouth. Nose bleeds and subconjunctival haemorrhages (bleeding into the white of the eye) may occur with intense coughing. Complications are uncommon, but include pneumonia, seizures and bronchiectasis - a lung condition where pockets of infection form in the small airways. In babies, whooping cough can cause apnoea (when breathing stops) and sudden death.

How is whooping cough diagnosed and treated?

Whooping cough is fairly easily diagnosed by a combination of symptoms and examining a swab taken from the throat or nose for traces of the bacteria.

When whooping cough is suspected or when children develop an unusual cough that causes vomiting or doesn't improve after a couple of days, the child should be seen by a doctor. Get urgent medical advice if your child seems particularly unwell, goes blue during coughing or has other worrying symptoms.

Mild whooping cough can be treated at home with plenty of rest and fluids, but, in some cases, hospital treatment may be needed. The benefit of antibiotics is debatable. They don't appear to shorten the course of the illness, but may prevent whooping cough in people who have been exposed to it.

Further help

It's not unusual for the cough to persist for months. Vaccination provides about 80 to 90 per cent protection from whooping cough, but the protection wears off throughout childhood. Get medical advice if you're worried.

See the parents guide giving answers to common immunisation questions.