Bordetella Pertussis

Here I am on my soap box again, but it's my blog, so I get to be. Yesterday in church, our Relief Society president announced that one of the primary teachers in our ward was diagnosed with Whooping Cough. I also heard from some of the patients work that go to Lehi High, that there's been someone at their school diagnosed with it too.

Ladies and Gentleman, this is whooping cough:



Let me point out a couple things to you.

First, (which should be quite obvious) this baby is MISERABLE! You can see it on his face. I can't imagine anything more terrifying as a mother. There literally is nothing you can do at that point but prop them up and watch them cough.

Second, HE'S NOT BREATHING!! Go back and look. He takes the characteristic "whoop" breath at 33 seconds and then doesn't breath in again until 55 seconds. An infant his age should be taking 30-40 breaths per minute. Average that baby's respirations out at two or maybe three... Yeah, you've got bigger problems than just the cough.

Whooping Cough is a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics, but it can be fatal and it is completely preventable. Babies can be vaccinated as young as six weeks. If you've already gotten on board and your kids are up to date, kudos. If you're one of those moms who don't for whatever reason, WISE UP!! I really am not saying that to be mean, but seriously, in this day and age, you can't assume that it's not going to happen. Whooping Cough is extremely contagious and chances are if someone close to you has been diagnosed, you and your children have already been exposed.

The other thing people are trying to raise awareness about is that kids and parents can bring home Whooping Cough to their newborns even if they don't have symptoms. The doctor will usually make sure a pregnant mom is up to date before she delivers, but they don't always check on the dad. One phone call to your pediatrician's office will ensure that your kids are up to date too. Get up to date on your vaccines!

Here's the link to the CDC information on Pertussis (Whooping Cough):
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/about/prevention.html

Read the info, and keep your family safe.