Five newborn babies have died in a spiralling whooping cough outbreak which has terrified parents. A mother whose child died from whooping cough at just 32 days old urges action Riley Hughes was an otherwise healthy baby when he died from whooping cough aged just 32 days in 2015. Whooping cough is caused by the pertussis bacteria and is spread by coughing and sneezing. Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but can still cause sore ribs, a hernias, ear infections and urinary incontinence among these groups. Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health, University of Southampton, said: 'Whooping cough can and does kill babies.
