Complications of Whooping cough

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Complications of whooping cough mostly only affect babies.

About two thirds of babies with whooping cough have to go into hospital. Some are seriously ill and have to go into intensive care. One in 500 babies with whooping cough die. The risk of death is highest in younger babies.

Babies with whooping cough can develop pneumonia, bronchiectasis (pockets of infection form in the small airways of the lungs) and/or collapsed lung. Most babies that die as a result of whooping cough die from pneumonia or apnoea (when they temporarily stop breathing).

Very severe coughing may lead to nosebleeds, bleeding into the whites of the eyes (subconjunctival heamorrage) bruises or a hernia (part of an organ is pushed out of position). The nervous system may also be affected. This is thought to be because of a lack of oxygen to the brain or small amounts of bleeding to the brain, caused by coughing. This can lead to convulsions, seizures and permanent brain damage in some.