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Source: http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100228/News01/2280367/1129/News
South Bend couple loses baby to pertussis
By ALICIA GALLEGOS
Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND ? More than anything, Craig and Katie Van Tornhout dreamed of having a child together.
Shortly after they married in 2004, they started trying, they said, hoping for a sibling for Craig's older son, Cole.
But the couple's desire to have children soon turned to heartache as Katie suffered miscarriage after miscarriage.
"We started to think that it would never happen," Craig said during a recent interview at the family's home.
Katie later went to see a specialist in Chicago and was diagnosed with a rare blood clot disorder that doctors said was affecting her ability to carry a baby to full term. She was prescribed medication.
Finally, after five years, Katie became pregnant with a baby girl that far surpassed previous pregnancy terms.
On Dec. 24, 2009, Callie Grace Van Tornhout was born. She was six weeks early ? weighing only 4 pounds, 5 ounces ? but she was strong, the couple said.
Even nurses called the baby "feisty" for the way she wiggled so much in her bed they had to put extra padding to keep her still.
After two weeks in the hospital, baby Callie came home. Friends and family were ecstatic.
Katie's mom, Barb Court, co-owner of Maxi's Food & Spirits Barn in South Bend, even erected a banner with news of the baby's birth.
"I would tell people, 'Everybody in life should be as happy as Katie and Craig,'?" Court remembered. "They weren't just happy, they glowed."
With a painful past behind them and their miracle baby beside them, the Van Tornhouts settled in to what they hoped would be a happy ending.
But then, just a month after Callie's birth, the unthinkable happened.
A parent's nightmare
It started with a cough.
Callie had been home only a few weeks and was steadily thriving when Katie noticed her daughter making a strange, dry cough.
She took the baby to the pediatrician, who gave the child a checkup but found no real signs of illness and sent the family home, Katie said.
A few days later, Callie was again not acting like herself, Craig said, and the parents took her back to the doctor.
During the visit, Callie suddenly stopped breathing. She was rushed to Memorial Hospital after doctors revived her.
Tests were performed on the infant, one of which was for pertussis, Katie said. The results, however, would not be back for a few days.
While in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Callie regained her color and was breathing fine. The parents were hopeful the baby would recover, they said, adding that they were never given any indication their baby's life was in danger.
But that Friday night, Callie again stopped breathing.
Family members stood behind a glass wall overlooking the baby's room, watching as a team of doctors and nurses performed CPR.
"None of us wanted to give up hope," Court said.
But the baby could not be saved. Tearful doctors related the shattering news to Katie and Craig.
"We never dreamed of losing her," Court said. "A more wanted baby you would never find."
Days later, pertussis tests came back positive.
The diagnosis blindsided the family. How could Callie have contracted the illness? She had been far too young to yet be immunized against the bacterial infection. Series of shots against pertussis do not begin until infants are 2 months old.
The couple had also kept outside family and friends away while Callie was home in an effort to protect her from sickness. She had been home from the hospital only 2 1/2 weeks.
St. Joseph County coroner Dr. Michael O'Connell confirmed to The Tribune that Callie likely died of an infectious-type illness such as pertussis, but he said conclusive tests will not be complete for several more weeks.
A rising illness
Medical experts say pertussis, or "whooping cough" ? once believed eradicated because of modern vaccines ? is again on the rise.
The bacterial infection affects the respiratory system, causing serious health complications in young children, especially infants.
"Adults and adolescents don't die from whooping cough," said Barb Baker, nursing director for the St. Joseph County Health Department. "But if infants are exposed, they have no immunity. Babies can go into respiratory distress very quickly."
In the last few years, whooping cough cases have increased, especially in northern Indiana, according to Baker. Callie's death was the first health officers have seen this year, but Baker said several babies in the last year have been hospitalized because of the illness.
Health department records show a significant outbreak of pertussis in 2004 with more than 90 cases in St. Joseph County, according to records. The numbers dropped in the last few years, with two recorded cases in 2008 and one in 2007. Annual reports for 2009 will not be completed until March.
Dr. Bunmi Okanlami, director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hospital, said one reason for the increase relates to more parents opting not to immunize their children.
Okanlami was one of the doctors who treated Callie, but he said he could not speak about the specific case for privacy reasons.
"We are creating a dangerous situation for our children," Okanlami said generally. "Parents need to educate themselves about immunizations and recognize the benefits far outweigh the risks."
"With less people being immunized and time passing," he added, "we're going to see a resurgence of diseases like pertussis."
Preventing pertussis
Whooping cough is a highly contagious illness transmittable by fluid droplets much like the common cold.
Okanlami said no real treatment exists for pertussis, other than monitoring and managing symptoms. Antibiotics are generally prescribed, but Okanlami said the medication mainly stops the illness from spreading, and it decreases duration.
Young children with whooping cough may require intravenous tubes or a ventilator until the illness has run its course.
Preventing pertussis starts with the Tdap vaccine, which is given to most babies as a series of shots starting at 2 months of age.
Some hospitals also regularly provide new mothers the Tdap shortly after they give birth, Baker said, but the practice is a hospital decision and not mandated.
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center routinely gives the immunizations to new mothers, according to a spokesman.
Memorial health officials said they have recently become more vigilant in administering Tdap to new mothers, especially amid growing pertussis cases. But the practice is on a case-by-case basis and must be part of a doctor's order.
Katie said she was never offered the vaccine after giving birth to Callie at Memorial.
Endless questions
Inside the Van Tornhouts' home, Callie's room remains untouched.
A tiny white bassinet stands in one corner, a stuffed cow peeking out next to a white baby blanket. In the closet hangs a row of never-worn baby clothes, mostly pink.
Katie stands in the room on a recent day, talking about her baby girl and all the plans that will never be. Congratulations cards celebrating the baby's birth still arrive in the mail.
Despite their heartache, the Van Tornhouts hope sharing their story might help other parents learn about whooping cough and the importance of immunizing children.
Meanwhile, the couple continues to grope with a mountain of unanswered questions ? and the grief of losing their miracle baby far too soon.
Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:
agallegos@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6368
******************
Callie Grace Van Tornhout was 1 month old when she died last month of what is believed to be pertussis, or "whooping cough."
How to help
The Van Tornhouts are struggling to pay medical bills related to Callie's treatment. If you would like to donate, checks can be mailed to any 1st Source Bank, care of the Callie Grace Van Tornhout Memorial Fund.
Pertussis prevention
Health experts have found that immunity against ailments such as pertussis begin to wane with age. Young people and adults who received the vaccines as children are now recommended to get a second dose.
A new state law goes into effect this fall, mandating students in sixth to 12th grade have three more vaccines, including Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) before entering school.
Health officials also recommend mothers planning to have children receive the vaccine, although the shot is not safe to get while pregnant. If already pregnant, talk to your pediatrician about receiving the vaccine after giving birth.
For more information, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/features/pertussis/.
Source: Barb Baker, nursing director, St. Joseph County Health Department
South Bend couple loses baby to pertussis
By ALICIA GALLEGOS
Tribune Staff Writer
SOUTH BEND ? More than anything, Craig and Katie Van Tornhout dreamed of having a child together.
Shortly after they married in 2004, they started trying, they said, hoping for a sibling for Craig's older son, Cole.
But the couple's desire to have children soon turned to heartache as Katie suffered miscarriage after miscarriage.
"We started to think that it would never happen," Craig said during a recent interview at the family's home.
Katie later went to see a specialist in Chicago and was diagnosed with a rare blood clot disorder that doctors said was affecting her ability to carry a baby to full term. She was prescribed medication.
Finally, after five years, Katie became pregnant with a baby girl that far surpassed previous pregnancy terms.
On Dec. 24, 2009, Callie Grace Van Tornhout was born. She was six weeks early ? weighing only 4 pounds, 5 ounces ? but she was strong, the couple said.
Even nurses called the baby "feisty" for the way she wiggled so much in her bed they had to put extra padding to keep her still.
After two weeks in the hospital, baby Callie came home. Friends and family were ecstatic.
Katie's mom, Barb Court, co-owner of Maxi's Food & Spirits Barn in South Bend, even erected a banner with news of the baby's birth.
"I would tell people, 'Everybody in life should be as happy as Katie and Craig,'?" Court remembered. "They weren't just happy, they glowed."
With a painful past behind them and their miracle baby beside them, the Van Tornhouts settled in to what they hoped would be a happy ending.
But then, just a month after Callie's birth, the unthinkable happened.
A parent's nightmare
It started with a cough.
Callie had been home only a few weeks and was steadily thriving when Katie noticed her daughter making a strange, dry cough.
She took the baby to the pediatrician, who gave the child a checkup but found no real signs of illness and sent the family home, Katie said.
A few days later, Callie was again not acting like herself, Craig said, and the parents took her back to the doctor.
During the visit, Callie suddenly stopped breathing. She was rushed to Memorial Hospital after doctors revived her.
Tests were performed on the infant, one of which was for pertussis, Katie said. The results, however, would not be back for a few days.
While in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Callie regained her color and was breathing fine. The parents were hopeful the baby would recover, they said, adding that they were never given any indication their baby's life was in danger.
But that Friday night, Callie again stopped breathing.
Family members stood behind a glass wall overlooking the baby's room, watching as a team of doctors and nurses performed CPR.
"None of us wanted to give up hope," Court said.
But the baby could not be saved. Tearful doctors related the shattering news to Katie and Craig.
"We never dreamed of losing her," Court said. "A more wanted baby you would never find."
Days later, pertussis tests came back positive.
The diagnosis blindsided the family. How could Callie have contracted the illness? She had been far too young to yet be immunized against the bacterial infection. Series of shots against pertussis do not begin until infants are 2 months old.
The couple had also kept outside family and friends away while Callie was home in an effort to protect her from sickness. She had been home from the hospital only 2 1/2 weeks.
St. Joseph County coroner Dr. Michael O'Connell confirmed to The Tribune that Callie likely died of an infectious-type illness such as pertussis, but he said conclusive tests will not be complete for several more weeks.
A rising illness
Medical experts say pertussis, or "whooping cough" ? once believed eradicated because of modern vaccines ? is again on the rise.
The bacterial infection affects the respiratory system, causing serious health complications in young children, especially infants.
"Adults and adolescents don't die from whooping cough," said Barb Baker, nursing director for the St. Joseph County Health Department. "But if infants are exposed, they have no immunity. Babies can go into respiratory distress very quickly."
In the last few years, whooping cough cases have increased, especially in northern Indiana, according to Baker. Callie's death was the first health officers have seen this year, but Baker said several babies in the last year have been hospitalized because of the illness.
Health department records show a significant outbreak of pertussis in 2004 with more than 90 cases in St. Joseph County, according to records. The numbers dropped in the last few years, with two recorded cases in 2008 and one in 2007. Annual reports for 2009 will not be completed until March.
Dr. Bunmi Okanlami, director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hospital, said one reason for the increase relates to more parents opting not to immunize their children.
Okanlami was one of the doctors who treated Callie, but he said he could not speak about the specific case for privacy reasons.
"We are creating a dangerous situation for our children," Okanlami said generally. "Parents need to educate themselves about immunizations and recognize the benefits far outweigh the risks."
"With less people being immunized and time passing," he added, "we're going to see a resurgence of diseases like pertussis."
Preventing pertussis
Whooping cough is a highly contagious illness transmittable by fluid droplets much like the common cold.
Okanlami said no real treatment exists for pertussis, other than monitoring and managing symptoms. Antibiotics are generally prescribed, but Okanlami said the medication mainly stops the illness from spreading, and it decreases duration.
Young children with whooping cough may require intravenous tubes or a ventilator until the illness has run its course.
Preventing pertussis starts with the Tdap vaccine, which is given to most babies as a series of shots starting at 2 months of age.
Some hospitals also regularly provide new mothers the Tdap shortly after they give birth, Baker said, but the practice is a hospital decision and not mandated.
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center routinely gives the immunizations to new mothers, according to a spokesman.
Memorial health officials said they have recently become more vigilant in administering Tdap to new mothers, especially amid growing pertussis cases. But the practice is on a case-by-case basis and must be part of a doctor's order.
Katie said she was never offered the vaccine after giving birth to Callie at Memorial.
Endless questions
Inside the Van Tornhouts' home, Callie's room remains untouched.
A tiny white bassinet stands in one corner, a stuffed cow peeking out next to a white baby blanket. In the closet hangs a row of never-worn baby clothes, mostly pink.
Katie stands in the room on a recent day, talking about her baby girl and all the plans that will never be. Congratulations cards celebrating the baby's birth still arrive in the mail.
Despite their heartache, the Van Tornhouts hope sharing their story might help other parents learn about whooping cough and the importance of immunizing children.
Meanwhile, the couple continues to grope with a mountain of unanswered questions ? and the grief of losing their miracle baby far too soon.
Staff writer Alicia Gallegos:
agallegos@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6368
******************
Callie Grace Van Tornhout was 1 month old when she died last month of what is believed to be pertussis, or "whooping cough."
How to help
The Van Tornhouts are struggling to pay medical bills related to Callie's treatment. If you would like to donate, checks can be mailed to any 1st Source Bank, care of the Callie Grace Van Tornhout Memorial Fund.
Pertussis prevention
Health experts have found that immunity against ailments such as pertussis begin to wane with age. Young people and adults who received the vaccines as children are now recommended to get a second dose.
A new state law goes into effect this fall, mandating students in sixth to 12th grade have three more vaccines, including Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis) before entering school.
Health officials also recommend mothers planning to have children receive the vaccine, although the shot is not safe to get while pregnant. If already pregnant, talk to your pediatrician about receiving the vaccine after giving birth.
For more information, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/features/pertussis/.
Source: Barb Baker, nursing director, St. Joseph County Health Department