New Delhi, Oct 3
Pertussis, or whooping cough, in young infants can be life-threatening, according to a study, which stressed the need for maternal vaccination during pregnancy.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection that causes severe coughing fits and is often followed by a high-pitched "whoop" sound as the person inhales. It can last for months in both adults and children.
"Pertussis symptoms are different in infants," said leading author Caitlin Li, infectious diseases specialist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
"The characteristic whooping cough may be absent, but apnoea, or breathing interruption, is common," added Li, also Assistant Professor of paediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.