COUGHING CHILDREN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 16, 20 January 1944, Page 4

COUGHING CHILDREN

"A Nurse" writing regarding measures for checking the spread of whooping cough says: "Whooping cough is an acute infectious disease spread almost entirely by droplet infection, and also by direct contact. Children under the age of six are mostly affected, but adults occasionally contract the disease. . . . The mortality is high in infants under one year, considerable under the age of three, and low after five years. Broncho-pneumonia is responsible for most deaths. The period of infection constitutes four weeks after the onset of the whoop, during which time the child must be isolated, although in some cases the whoop often continues for six to eight weeks or even longer. When the temperature is normal it is not necessary to keep the child in bed, and he is allowed to play in the open air, providing isolation can be maintained. Vitamin A in the form of cod liver oil or adexolin is beneficial during convalescence, which, if possible, should be completed in the country or at the seaside after the period of infection has passed. I am certain that no doctor would advise parents to rush their child to and from the beach in crowded trams, trains, or buses, as apparently has been their habit, for apart from the danger of exposing countless others to infection, they are probably doing their own child more harm than good by causing unnecessary excitement and effort which predispose to an increase in { paroxysms and possible nervous complications. By all means include sea air in the convalescent's treatment, but please be reasonable and keep the infection away from the contact of others. In conclusion I may suggest that parents use their common sense and see that such unnecessary spread of infection can be prevented by a little more consideration for others and may they call to mind that old saying, 'Prevention is better than cure.'"