Littleton Pediatric Offices Warn Parents of Dangers of Whooping Cough

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the Bordatella pertussis bacterium. Unfortunately, a report from The Weston Forum has indicated that cases of pertussis have been rising steadily in the past few years:

"Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, was considered an eradicated childhood illness until recently. It is now re-emerging as a serious, and potentially fatal, health risk to infants less than 12 months of age and older adults.

More than 48,000 cases were reported nationwide in 2012, including 15 infant deaths."

Bordatella pertussis spreads like most other respiratory diseases, by travelling through saliva droplets expelled by an infected person who coughs or sneezes without covering his or her mouth. These droplets float around the air until someone inhales it and becomes infected as well.

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Children Should See a Littleton Pediatrician to Avoid the Flu Outbreak

The flu is one of the most infectious diseases in the world. It is contracted when a person becomes infected with the influenza virus, usually coming from an already-infected person who fails to cover his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing. According to health experts, roughly 5 to 20 percent of the American population comes down with the flu every year.

Children are especially vulnerable to the disease. Parents should pay close attention when their child complains of a fever, fatigue, body pain, chills, headaches, and a sore throat. If a child complains of these symptoms, it is probably for the best to bring him or her to a Littleton, CO pediatrician, such as Dr. Michael Frand and colleagues, to have the symptoms properly diagnosed, since the common cold and the flu share several symptoms.

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Whooping Cough: Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is a bacterial infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. The illness typically targets a person’s respiratory system. Whooping cough is a common illness in very young infants and children that have not been vaccinated.

It is difficult to diagnose whooping cough during the early stages of the illness because the infection shares many symptoms with the common cold: a runny nose, fever, cough, and sneezing. However, the mild cough progresses into full-blown coughing after a week or two. The more serious coughing fits can last for over a minute, making it difficult to breathe. After a coughing fit, the sick person typically makes a “whooping” sound as he or she gasps for air.

If your child starts to exhibit symptoms of whooping cough, be sure to bring him or her to a pediatrician. The pediatrician will then confirm the disease by taking a history of symptoms or taking fluid samples for a laboratory test. If the presence of whooping cough is confirmed, the pediatrician will prescribe antibiotics.

Fortunately, the disease can be prevented by having your child vaccinated with the DTaP vaccine. Public health officials advise parents to make sure their children have received all five doses of the DTaP vaccine before the child reaches six years of age. The vaccine is readily available in all pediatric practices.

Flu Vaccines Options for Children

Once children reach the age of six months, influenza vaccinations become a viable option for fighting against the flu. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be given the annual influenza vaccination once they are old enough. Seasonal flus are one of the most common illnesses in the country due to their highly contagious nature, affecting both children and adults. As such, getting vaccinated every year can drastically reduce the risk of becoming infected with the flu.

The problem with flu vaccinations is that many young children are afraid of needles and injections, with many children dreading or resisting pediatricians administering the shot. Fortunately, advances in medical technology has allowed vaccinologists to create more flu vaccine options available to the general public.

While the traditional flu shot is still available, vaccinologists have come up with annual influenza vaccine formulations that protects people from four dominant strains of the virus, which is a great improvement from the older trivalent vaccines. In addition, the use of nasal spray vaccinations has been growing in popularity, particularly for children who are afraid of needles. Children who couldn't get flu vaccines in the past due to egg allergies (the use of chicken embryos was the traditional methodology in producing flu vaccines) can now get vaccinated due to a new egg-free flu vaccine that was developed.