Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy: why do it
Pertussis vaccination pregnancy : why it is important to talk about this vaccination and immunization of the newborn.
Whooping cough: an infectious disease on the rise
As with other infectious diseases, public health organizations are currently on alert for the return of whooping cough. In recent years, in fact, in Europe, the United States and Australia there has been an increase in cases of this disease.
What is whooping cough
Pertussis, caused by the Bordetella Pertussis bacterium , is an infection that affects adults and children with sometimes serious consequences. Babies under six months of age, who cannot yet be fully vaccinated, are the age group most at risk.
The first phase of the infection is characterized by a persistent cough, which can last even more than three weeks, fever and abundant nasal secretions.
Subsequently the cough becomes convulsive and in the young child it can be associated with breathing difficulties, apnea and cyanosis, also accompanied by vomiting. Strong coughing can also cause bleeding in the nose and inside the eye. At this stage, newborns can have other complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, seizures and encephalitis. More than half of children under one year of age require hospitalization and in some cases the infection can be fatal.
How is pertussis transmitted to newborns and infants?
In 70% of cases, the infection is transmitted to the infant by cohabiting adults, who have lost the immunity obtained with vaccination or who have never been vaccinated. In fact, the immunity conferred by the natural disease and by vaccination is not lasting over time, so much so that the disease can be contracted several times in the course of a lifetime.
Whooping cough can be prevented through vaccination
To reduce the circulation of B. Pertussis and consequently the cases of neonatal pertussis, the National Vaccine Plan recommends the administration of a booster dose of pertussis vaccine (dTap) for adults. In children, on the other hand, vaccination involves three doses in the first year of life and a booster dose in the 5th year.
Passive pertussis immunization of the newborn
In view of the above, the current vaccination strategies against pertussis are based, in addition to the compulsory vaccination for all newborns starting from the 3rd month of life, in the first place on the pregnancy pertussis vaccination, and secondarily (and not as an alternative to the of the pregnant woman) on the vaccination of the breastfeeding woman
Pertussis vaccination during pregnancy: why do it
Vaccination of pregnant women is currently actively proposed, as it is the best and safest tool to guarantee the passage of a sufficient quantity of antibodies to the newborn to protect it in the first months of life, pending its active immunization with the vaccine. The time currently indicated for vaccination (which is practiced together with anti-diphtheria and anti-tetanus) is the third trimester of pregnancy(between the 26th and 37th week), even if the opportunity is being considered to anticipate the administration of the vaccine to the second trimester, which would make it possible to give a good set of antipertussis antibodies even in preterm infants. In fact, the production of antibodies by the mother following vaccination takes at least two weeks, and if the birth occurs prematurely, the vaccination performed in the third trimester risks not being able to sufficiently cover the baby born prematurely.
Pertussis vaccination during breastfeeding
This strategy should not be considered an alternative, but a second option if the mother did not receive the vaccination during pregnancy and the baby is breastfed. In this case the mother, vaccinating herself, will produce antipertussis antibodies (but above all of the IgA type, less IgG and IgM) which she will passively transmit to her child through breastfeeding.
Whooping cough and scientific research: the activities of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital
In the Predictive Medicine research unit of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, headed by Doctor Alberto Tozzi, research on whooping cough has intensified for some years.
An ongoing project is dedicated to the evaluation of the mechanisms that determine the protective effect of breastfeeding against pertussis. Other objectives are to identify which family members are susceptible to infection and therefore a source of infection for the newborn and which biological markers allow to identify people susceptible to the disease .
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.