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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staff
Teenagers and adults
Teenagers and adults usually recover from whooping cough with no complications.
If complications occur, at worst, they include coughing that may lead to:
- A bruised or broken rib
- Hernia — an abnormal protrusion of a loop of intestine through a weak area of abdominal muscle
Children
Children with whooping cough also may:
- Injure the muscles of the chest wall
- Develop a hernia
Infants
In infants — especially those under 6 months of age — complications from whooping cough are more severe and may include:
- Ear infections
- Pneumonia
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Dehydration
- Seizures
- Brain damage
Because infants and toddlers are at greatest risk of complications from whooping cough, they're more likely to need treatment in a hospital. In infants under 6 months of age, complications can be life-threatening.
