Whooping Cough Symptoms In Babies
Whooping cough symptoms in babies is generally hard to miss for many parents and it is quite upsetting to say the least. Since young babies are the most at risk, it is important that you learn what to look for and how it can be treated.
Where Did The Name Whooping Cough Come From?
While many babies are unable to make the “whoop” sound that is so common with this cough, it is aptly named because of the sound children make when trying to catch their breath when afflicted with this bacterial infection.
How Does My Baby Get Whooping Cough?
This infection is easily spread and quite contagious. It is usually spread by someone coughing or sneezing on the baby. This is why so many parents with newborns should be quite cautious about allowing others to be around their babies.
Your baby will not generally receive a vaccination to protect her from the whooping cough until the age of 2 months when she will receive the first round of DTaP vaccines. She will receive another does at 4 months and again at 6 months.
This is why the whooping cough is the most serious in babies under the age of 6 months.
What Should I Look For?
The cough will usually start in the form of a cold or the flu. Your baby may be running a fever and this will be accompanied by frequent sneezing, coughing and a runny nose. The whooping cough will then appear around 10-14 days.
A baby with the whooping cough will violently cough and struggle to breathe, and this can be followed by dry retching and vomiting spells. Since your baby is struggling to breathe and may be lacking oxygen, it is imperative to get her to the doctor right away.
How Is Whooping Cough Treated?
Since the cough is generally passed on to the baby from her closest caretakers such as parents and grandparents, everyone including the baby may be given a round of antibiotics to clear up the condition.
Never give your baby any over the counter cough suppressants for this condition and always speak to your doctor first before using any type of remedy.
Related posts: