(BPT) – Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy^® Award-winning actress and star of the upcoming CBS comedy “The Crazy Ones,” is joining March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur on the Sounds of Pertussis^®Campaign. As a mother of two young children, the youngest having arrived in September 2012, Gellar wants to help raise awareness about the potential dangers of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, and the importance of adult tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination.

Pertussis is a highly contagious and often serious disease, especially in young children. In adolescents and adults it usually presents as a severe cough that may last for weeks and even months. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), America is experiencing one of the largest outbreaks of reported pertussis cases in approximately 50 years, with more than 41,000 reported cases and 18 deaths in 2012.

“No matter how busy my career gets, my family and their health are always my number one priority,” said Gellar. “That’s why I’m urging adults to get vaccinated against pertussis to help protect themselves and to help stop the spread of the disease to infants.”

In adults and adolescents the disease is typically mild and frequently mistaken for a cold, but in babies it can be potentially fatal. In fact, babies and young children are at a higher risk for pertussis related complications. Researchers found that in cases where it could be determined how an infant caught pertussis, family members were responsible for spreading the disease to the baby in up to 80 percent of cases. More specifically, parents were responsible up to 50 percent of the time.

“Immunity from early childhood pertussis vaccinations wears off after about five to 10 years, meaning even adults who were immunized as children may no longer be protected,” said Siobhan M. Dolan, M.D., Medical Advisor to March of Dimes. “The best way for adults to help protect themselves and to help prevent the spread of the disease is to ensure they are vaccinated.”

As the National Sounds of Pertussis Campaign Ambassador, Gellar is also encouraging parents to use the Campaign’s new Facebook application – the Breathing Room – that allows parents to send a brief message to family and friends in their Facebook network asking them to make the pledge to be vaccinated against pertussis before meeting the newborn in their life.

Please visit SoundsOfPertussis.com to learn more about pertussis and the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, and visit SoundsOfPertussis.com/BreathingRoom to start building your Breathing Room.

Since 2009, March of Dimes and Sanofi Pasteur have worked together on the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign, a national education campaign to help raise awareness about the potential dangers of pertussis. Remember, although pertussis may be on the rise nationwide, there are simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and to help stop the spread of the disease to your infant: make sure everyone who comes in contact with your infant is up to date on their vaccinations.

The post Sarah Michelle Gellar Lends Her Voice to Help Stop the Spread of Pertussis with the Sounds of Pertussis Campaign appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Commonly referred to as whooping cough, pertussis is a contagious bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system. Typical symptoms resemble those associated with the common cold. These include:                                                                             

• Low fever
• Nasal congestion
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Mild coughing early on

Eventually, the mild cough will progress into a severe cough that can last over ten weeks. In fact, this illness is capable of producing coughing fits violent enough to crack ribs.

Though once considered to be on its way out of the United States, pertussis has reemerged with a vengeance in the past few years. Infection rates have exploded primarily due to clusters of unvaccinated people immigrating to the US. This year, according to the CDC, over 26,146 people have contracted the illness and individual states in the Midwest, Northeast, and those bordering the Great Lakes have seen infection rates double and triple that of the national average.
Anyone is at risk for catching pertussis; however, babies, infants, and young children are particularly at risk. Adults who do end up contracting whooping cough can expect to suffer from cold-like symptoms for several weeks and have a severe cough for at least a couple of months. On the other hand, when the sickness affects children and babies, it can be deadly.

Since pertussis has returned to the US and has become an epidemic, mothers need to be aware of the options available to combating the disease and how pertussis can go undiagnosed in some cases.

The first line of defense for mothers in protecting their babies from pertussis is figuring out whether or not they received the vaccination themselves. If they have not, the CDC recommends pregnant women receive it during the late second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Vaccinating mom during these trimesters will transfer antibodies to the baby to protect it once he or she is born. Otherwise, vaccinating the baby immediately after birth before leaving the hospital is encouraged. Urging other members of the household and family to receive the vaccination will also help to protect baby.

Secondly, scheduling your child or infant for his or her DTaP vaccinations, the pertussis vaccine, will give them an advantage in evading the illness. The CDC recommends five DTaP shots, given at ages 2, 4, 6, months of age. The fourth is administered between 15 to 18 months and the fifth at 4 to 6 years old, or once the child enters school.

Booster vaccines called TDaP fortify a child’s immune system against pertussis. Boosters are always important, especially for mothers. The CDC warns that when whooping cough does affect infants, the mother was responsible for over a third of infections. Ask your doctor at your next checkup if you and your child are both up-to-date on your pertussis vaccinations.

Doctors have also had a difficult time in diagnosing pertussis because it most commonly resembles other respiratory conditions. If your child or infant is suffering from a lingering cough, insist your doctor check for pertussis. The Mayo Clinic outlines three simple tests for confirming pertussis: a nose or throat culture and test, a blood test, and/or a chest x-ray. If your baby or child is having trouble breathing, take him or her to a hospital immediately.

The post PERTUSSIS: How to Protect Yourself and Your Baby appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.