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A Mother & Child with Pertussis

As Told By: Mary

A resident of Snohomish County, Mary has three sons. She got pertussis (whooping cough) a week before the birth of her second child. She caught it from her oldest son's friend, who visited one day with racking coughs. After recognizing the telltale whoop in the cough, Mary discussed the issue with the friend's mother, who indicated she did not believe in immunizations.

Mary was seriously ill for six months and passed the disease on to her newborn son, who was hospitalized with pertussis at one week of age. (The child who originally infected Mary was also seen in the emergency room for pertussis-related seizures.)

"My baby would cough 40 to 50 times in a row until he turned blue and threw up," Mary said. "I quite literally did not let go of him for the first six to nine months because I was afraid he was going to die."

The first five years of his life have been full of bouts with infections and an uncontrollable cough. Many people who had been exposed to Mary and her son had to be treated with antibiotics, because of their increased susceptibility to pertussis - especially young children and those over 60.

The out-of-pocket cost to the family was extraordinary, even though both parents had excellent health insurance coverage. The community cost included many hours of investigation of contacts and the cost of the needed antibiotics...and this was a healthy pregnancy.