Whooping cough in babies and children: signs and treatment

Pertussis is the medical term for whooping cough. Although whooping cough is a childhood illness, adults and teenagers can get it too. But what exactly is whooping cough? This infectious illness afflicts the respiratory tract and is highly contagious. It causes anything from harsh coughing fits right through to difficulty breathing. Infants are at high risk of developing a severe form of the illness.

In Switzerland, around 7000 people fall ill with whooping cough every year. It is triggered by highly infectious bacteria. This whooping cough pathogen is passed on by infected individuals through droplets when sneezing, talking, and coughing. The likelihood of coming into contact with the pathogen depends on several factors. These include how many people are vaccinated and how many pathogens are circulating in the population. The more people are vaccinated, the less whooping cough can spread.

There are several signs you might notice if your child has whooping cough. Typical signs of whooping cough symptoms include:

• Flu-like symptoms such as coughing, a runny nose and a sore throat
• Severe coughing spasms and wheezing during inhalation, sometimes even difficulty breathing
• Phlegm (sticky mucus) and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Potentially fever

Whooping cough symptoms in adults and teenagers generally include flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, weakness and sometimes fever as well as severe coughing lasting several weeks. However, the classic whooping cough symptoms suffered by children – coughing spasms with violent coughing fits at night – are very rare among teenagers and adults. Those with the illness are still nevertheless infectious.

And during pregnancy? Whooping cough symptoms during pregnancy are the same as those suffered by other adults. However, severe coughing fits might potentially trigger early labour. That’s why whooping cough is dangerous in pregnancy.

Babies and unvaccinated children suffer more serious complications than adults. Many children suffering from the illness also develop pneumonia or a middle-ear infection. In babies, pertussis may result in respiratory failure, brain damage due to a lack of oxygen, pneumonia or, in extreme cases, death.

• Stage 1: Initially whooping cough is not associated with any specific symptoms, just cold-like symptoms with a runny nose, a slight cough, weakness and, in rare cases, fever. This stage lasts roughly one to two weeks.
• Stage 2: Whooping cough causes shortness of breath and spasmodic coughing fits for roughly six weeks. These last several minutes and can occur up to 50 times a day and end with a whooping, wheezing noise – hence the name. Occasionally those affected vomit during this. But usually, sticky mucus is coughed up.
• Stage 3: The recovery phase lasts up to ten weeks. The cough diminishes and those affected recover slowly.

How long is whooping cough infectious?

Whooping cough has an incubation time of 7 to 20 days. This is how long it generally takes for those affected to notice the first whooping cough symptoms after infection. How long is wheezing cough contagious? Whooping cough is contagious as soon as the first symptoms occur. The risk of infection persists for five to six weeks. Treatment with antibiotics reduces this timeframe significantly, with those affected no longer infectious within just five days of beginning treatment.

Does my child have to quarantine? There is no need to quarantine for whooping cough. But those affected should isolate. So keep your sick child at home until the risk of infection has passed.

Bei Keuchhusten wird ein PCR-Test wie bei Corona eingesetzt. Bei diesem Keuchhusten-Schnelltest untersucht die Fachperson den Hals-Rachen-Abstrich auf den Keuchhusten-Erreger.

The whooping cough vaccination is an effective measure for preventing pertussis. How often should it be done? In the Swiss vaccination plan, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recommends basic immunisation with three vaccination doses at the age of 2, 4 and 12 months. A combined vaccine which also protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis and hepatitis B is usually administered. Booster vaccinations are recommended between the ages of 4 and 7, during puberty and at the age of 25. A missed whooping cough vaccination can generally be repeated at any time.

Any questions about the vaccination? You should talk to your doctor. You can visit the dedicated vaccination information platform Infovac.ch.

Whooping cough vaccination and potential side effects

As with every vaccination, temporary redness, soreness and swelling may be experienced at the injection site or a slight fever. These will occur, if at all, within the first two days of the vaccination and will subside quickly. Serious complications are not known.

Whooping cough vaccination for pregnant women

Women who are planning a pregnancy should generally check their vaccination status. Having the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy reduces the risk of falling ill with whooping cough yourself while at the same time protecting your newborn in the first few weeks of their life. Specialists recommend receiving the whooping cough vaccination during the second trimester of pregnancy, i.e. between the 14th and 27th week of pregnancy. This is also the case for later pregnancies.

While some have levelled criticism at the whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy, recent studies confirm the safety and benefits of vaccination at this stage of life. However, whooping cough vaccination side effects like fever tend to occur a little more frequently during pregnancy. Are you unsure about having the whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy? Talk to your doctor and get more advice.

Booster vaccine

Find out more about pertussis and the whooping cough vaccination in the video. The German Harding Center for Risk Literacy has summarised the benefits and side effects of the combined booster vaccination on the basis of scientific studies.

Conclusion: from a medical perspective, vaccinations against whooping cough are of considerable benefit, as the illness is highly contagious and can occur at any age.

There are different stages and severities of whooping cough. When should you take your child to the doctor? Seek medical assistance in all instances. An inpatient stay will be required in serious cases.

Medication can help with whooping cough. In the beginning stage, in particular, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics for mucus and coughing. In addition to this, symptoms in children and adults can be alleviated with simple whooping cough home remedies.

Whooping cough: what helps

• Drink lots to thin the mucus
• Thyme tea has an expectorant effect and relieves spasms
• Eat small meals spaced out over the course of the day, puréed where possible
• Soothe children when they experience a coughing fit
• Rest, play relaxed games – full bed rest isn’t necessary
• Inhaling steam soothes the respiratory tract: over a bowel with hot salt water or during a warm shower
• Apply a warm chest compress with lemon juice before going to bed
• Sleep with head slightly elevated

Medical treatment of whooping cough is generally effective in children and adults. Consult your doctor if the symptoms worsen.