PedSPAM Index

PedSPAM Daily SPAMlet

Monday, December 15: Whooping cough (pertussis) incidence in the United States is up 50% from comparable periods 10 years ago. The disease is making inroads among infants who have not completed their primary series of shots at 2, 4, and 6 months. Full immunity requires all three doses of the vaccine. Journal of the American Medical Association 2003;290:2968-2975.

This is disturbing news. The danger to babies is primarily exposure to adolescents and adults who have persistent cough. Pertussis immunity wears off by age 10; after that, any older person can infect a vulnerable infant.

Editor's note: I am currently working on my comprehensive new book and video on children's sleep problems due out in the spring/summer, so PedSPAM updates are when I can get to them. I try to report anything urgent regardless of other time pressures. - jh

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Spamming the Globe Since 1997

PedSPAM consists of "stuff" I cull from journals, learn at update courses, or otherwise think parents might be interested in. These are topics you may hear about on the news, or often may not hear about any other way. These are the new ideas, treatments, and recommendations that come across my desk as a practicing pediatrician. You may find some things you would like to discuss with your pediatrician - she may have missed them if she is as busy as I am 8-)

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