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Impact of pertussis on the afflicted child and family
1Division of Child Health, Landstingets kansli, Jönköping, Sweden.
Insights
Pertussis, or whooping cough, significantly impacts unimmunized children and their families, causing behavioral changes and sleep disturbances. This highlights the substantial burden of pertussis in unvaccinated populations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Pertussis (whooping cough) remains a concern, particularly in populations with lower vaccination rates.
- Understanding the full impact of pertussis on affected children and their families is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical and familial burden of pertussis in a cohort of unimmunized children.
- To assess parental concerns and attitudes towards pertussis vaccination following infection.
Main Methods:
- A study of 61 children with culture-confirmed Bordetella pertussis infection.
- Two parental interviews conducted at 3 and 11 weeks post-symptom onset.
- Data collection focused on disease duration, behavioral changes, family impact, and parental concerns.
Main Results:
- 84% of children experienced behavioral changes; 95% of parents reported negative effects on themselves.
- Key issues included disrupted sleep, work absence, and family isolation.
- 51% of parents expressed serious concerns for their child's health, with 10% fearing permanent sequelae.
Conclusions:
- Pertussis imposes a significant burden on unimmunized children and their families, extending beyond the acute illness.
- Despite the challenges, parental attitudes towards pertussis vaccination remained highly positive.
- These findings underscore the importance of maintaining high pertussis vaccination coverage to prevent disease and its associated burdens.
Abstract:
The effects of pertussis in an unimmunized population were investigated in 61 children consecutively identified by positive culture for Bordetella pertussis. Parents were interviewed twice, at a mean of 3 and 11 weeks after onset of symptoms. All children had a disease duration of more than 3 weeks. Behavioral changes were reported for 84% of the study children. Parents reported negative effects for themselves in 95% and for siblings in 63% of the families. The main problems were disturbance of night sleep, staying home from work and isolation of the family. Parental knowledge of the disease was generally good; a majority had few contacts with the medical services and coped with the disease themselves. Serious concerns for the child were reported by 51% of parents and fears for permanent sequelae by 10%. The attitude to pertussis vaccination was positive in 89% of cases at both interviews. The study has thus shown that pertussis in an unimmunized child population represents a heavy burden.