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[Whooping cough in pregnant patients and newborn infants]
1Univ.-Kinderklinik Tübingen.
Insights
Pertussis (whooping cough) impacts adults and can be misdiagnosed. Pregnant women may transmit pertussis to newborns, leading to severe or fatal illness, preventable with erythromycin.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Abstract:
Pertussis affects not only children but also adults. The disease often takes an atypical course in adults and it is frequently misdiagnosed. Pregnant women with pertussis do not suffer from serious obstetrical complications. If, however, they are contagious at the time of delivery, they may infect the neonate immediately post partum. Neonates are susceptible to pertussis and may become seriously ill with potentially fatal consequences. Neonatal pertussis is frequently misdiagnosed, too. The disease can be prevented by prophylactical administration of erythromycin to the neonate.