Week 23 - Whoop, There It Is!

From the time we are infants, we are given a bazillion vaccinations to prevent us from contracting all sorts of diseases that you don’t hear of anyone ever actually getting in this country anymore. I am not suggesting that we should not get vaccinated to potentially lethal illnesses, but no one actually gets these diseases, right? Well, turns out they actually do! A little boy named Michael in the infant section of Ellie’s daycare has come down with pertussis, aka whooping cough.



Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that inflames the lungs and airways and brings on a persistent, violent cough. A baby with whooping cough will typically cough for 20 or 30 seconds nonstop and then struggle to breathe before the next coughing spell starts. During coughing episodes, baby's lips and nails may turn bluish from lack of oxygen. As I have mentioned before, I am a Worrier. (Marty would say, "THE worrier) There is seriously nothing worse for a Worrier than for her child to potentially have a disease that causes her to turn blue from lack of oxygen. Is it just me or does this whole thing sound completely terrifying? Elise’s pediatrician, while concerned, didn’t seem to think Elise’s death was imminent so I have relaxed a little (I stress little). Apparently it is not completely bizarre that someone at daycare got whooping cough. I did some research and it turns out that this disease is making a comeback and there are thousands and thousands of reported cases all over the country. Who knew?

Ellie has had one vaccination to this disease, but it is a series of 4 shots, given over the course of a year, so she is not vaccinated to it yet. Because it is an extremely contagious disease and Ellie has been exposed to it, her pediatrician put her on antibiotics. Hopefully these antibiotics will either prevent her from getting it, or (if she already has it) will reduce its severity. There is nothing else that we can really do at this point. So for now, we are just giving her the antibiotic and having a minor panic attack every time she sneezes or coughs.

In other medical news, Ellie went in for her 4-month check up this week (we are a month behind). She weighed in at 13lbs 11oz, so she’s just barely shy of doubling her birth weight. She is still a skinny-minnie – only in the 20th percentile for weight for her age. She is not continuing the path to becoming a giant either – this month she dropped from 68th percentile in height to 48th percentile. Guess we do not have a Lisa Leslie (or Diana Taurasi - Go Mercury!) on our hands after all. Looks like she’s destined to be average height like her parents. The pediatrician said that she was surprised that Ellie’s hair is still red – maybe it will stay that way! It doesn’t look like her eye color (“blueberry” blue) will change now either.

So, cross your fingers for us that Elise does not contract whooping cough or have any body parts that ever turn blue other than her eyes. Luckily, so far she seems happy and healthy and thinks her antibiotic is a fun tasty treat. Ah, to be young and worry-free!