Young infants vulnerable to ‘100-day cough’ sweeping UK as bereft mum points warning
A “100-day cough” is currently circulating around the UK that has been claiming the lives of babies.
Paediatricians are understood to be reporting that whooping cough, or pertussis, is making babies “really unwell,” according to Dr Saleyha Ahsan. She noted that there had been a surge in cases in recent months.
Doctors are understood to have had 8,015 doctor notifications since January about the cough, but the condition can be prevented through vaccinations. In this same period, there have been 2,041 laboratory-confirmed cases, a 3,800% rise compared to 207 cases and 30 confirmed in the laboratory this time last year.
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In January and February this year, 52 babies are understood to have the condition in confirmed cases, compared to 48 across the whole of last year.
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Speaking to MailPlus, Dr Liz Whittaker, a paediatric consultant and honorary clinical senior lecturer in the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London explained: “We are seeing massive numbers of cases of pertussis at the moment”.
The same outlet reports that paediatric wards are operating on a “surge capacity” for the condition as there are so many cases currently.
Dr Whittaker noted that the mortality rate among the very young was higher than any other age group. She said: “The mortality is one death in every 100 in the under three months category. We don’t see this in other age groups. As well as coughing, which is quite severe, they can stop breathing.”
Some babies too young to receive the pertussis vaccine are understood to have already passed away from the highly contagious bacterial infection.
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Speaking to the same outlet, consultant paediatrician at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr Ronny Cheung, said: “There’s no doubt we’ve been seeing quite a lot more of it on the wards and A&E in recent times. My suspicion is we’re probably still underestimating the true prevalence at the moment.”
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We would urge all parents to check that their children’s vaccinations — and their own — are up to date.”
Little Riley Hughes died from the infection in 2015. The otherwise healthy baby passed away at just 32 days. “I wish I could remember the last time I saw Riley conscious,” his mum Catherine told MailPlus. “I just have no memory of looking into his eyes for the last time.”
She added: “If I had been offered a whooping cough booster during pregnancy, there is a good chance Riley would still be with us today.”
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