title: Impact of pertussis on the afflicted child and family.
abstract: The effects of pertussis in an unimmunized population were investigated in 61 children consecutively identified by positive culture for Bordetella pertussis. Parents were interviewed twice, at a mean of 3 and 11 weeks after onset of symptoms. All children had a disease duration of more than 3 weeks. Behavioral changes were reported for 84% of the study children. Parents reported negative effects for themselves in 95% and for siblings in 63% of the families. The main problems were disturbance of night sleep, staying home from work and isolation of the family. Parental knowledge of the disease was generally good; a majority had few contacts with the medical services and coped with the disease themselves. Serious concerns for the child were reported by 51% of parents and fears for permanent sequelae by 10%. The attitude to pertussis vaccination was positive in 89% of cases at both interviews. The study has thus shown that pertussis in an unimmunized child population represents a heavy burden.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health, Landstingets kansli, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granström
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy