What is whooping cough?


The name comes from the weird birdlike "whooping" sounds that children who have the illness typically make when they try to take a deep breath between coughs. (Babies may not be strong enough to make this characteristic whooping sound.)

What are the symptoms?


Listen: Whooping cough with whoop

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Listen: Whooping cough without whoop

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Sick child with caring mom
Children's Symptom Guide

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Special dangers for babies

This illness can be very dangerous for babies under a year old, who are especially susceptible to complications such as pneumonia, convulsions, brain damage, and even death. If you think your baby may have whooping cough, it's important to take her to the doctor right away.

It's also important to watch babies with pertussis closely in case they stop breathing. If your baby has any trouble breathing, call 911 or take her to the nearest emergency room. Also take her to the ER if she has persistent vomiting, seizures, or signs of dehydration.

How did my child get this disease?


Most children receive several vaccinations against whooping cough (pertussis) as part of the DTaP series, which also protects against diphtheria and tetanus. The shots start at 2 months of age and continue until the child is 4 to 6 years old.

Your child's protection against the disease increases with each shot she receives, so her risk of getting it will be at its lowest after she receives the fifth shot of the series, between 4 and 6 years of age. Even then she has a small chance of coming down with whooping cough, because the vaccine isn't 100 percent effective.

The number of cases in the United States rose from about 1,000 in 1976 to almost 26,000 in 2005. (The number has declined somewhat since then.) Most of these infections were in babies younger than 6 months and children over age 7.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that, as a precaution, young babies should be kept away from anyone with a cough. They also recommend that adults and adolescents in contact with babies receive a dose of the Tdap vaccine to protect them from contracting whooping cough and transmitting it to babies.