Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be serious especially in young children. While the prolonged coughing is a nuisance, it can lead to complications like pneumonia which can be life-threatening. In young babies, the coughing fits and vomiting can interfere with feeding and sleeping, preventing them from getting adequate nutrition and rest to fight the infection. Brain damage is also a risk due to lack of oxygen during coughing fits. Whooping cough is highly infectious during the early stages when symptoms are mild. Vaccination is the best defense against whooping cough. If a child is suspected of having whooping cough, they should see a doctor right away to receive antibiotics and prevent complications.

1. WHOOPING COUGH IN KIDS
How to deal with Pertussis or Whooping Cough

2. You may wonder why
whooping cough is worth
worrying about.

3. While prolonged coughing is
a nuisance while it goes on
– to say nothing of the
vomiting afterwards – is it
really a big deal?
Yes, it is. It can kill.

4. Pertussis is highly likely
to lead to complications,
especially pneumonia,
which is very serious
indeed.

6. In very young children,
the prolonged coughing
fits and vomiting can
interfere with sleeping
and feeding patterns,
meaning that a baby does
not get the energy reserves
to fight the disease or the
nutrients and rest needed
to grow.

7. The disease can also lead to
coughing blood and damage
to the lining of the
throat. Brain damage can
also occur, although the
risk rate for this is
uncertain.

8. Brain damage occurs
because the brain can be
starved of oxygen – it’s all
being coughed out and
drawing an inward breath
is difficult.

9. Whooping cough is highly
infectious, especially as it
looks like a milder ailment
at first. It can take some
time for whooping cough to
develop symptoms after a
child has been exposed to
the disease – up to a month.

10. The first line of defense
against whooping cough
is vaccination.

12. If you suspect that your
child has whooping cough,
the best thing to do is to see
your doctor straight away.

13. He or she will probably
prescribe antibiotics, which
will prevent bacterial
complications such as
pneumonia.

14. Your doctor will probably
also give you other advice
regarding how to care for
your child.

15. At Friday’s Child
Montessori, we want all
our pupils to be fit and
healthy so they can learn
and play, and enjoy the
process of growing up into
the people they are meant
to be.

16. We don’t want a
whooping cough
epidemic – or any other
sort of epidemic – going
through our nursery school.

17. So we’ve got the following
advice for parents:
www.fridayschildmontessori.com/blog