New Mum Shares 'Distressing' Video Of Five-Week-Old With Whooping Cough To Educate About Warning Signs

Warning: some may find the above video distressing to watch.

A mum has shared a heartbreaking video of her five-week-old daughter struggling to breathe, to educate parents about the symptoms of whooping cough.

Sandra Tee, from Sydney, Australia, acknowledged the footage may be distressing to watch and urged others not to miss the early warning signs.

The video shows Tee’s daughter Heidi choking and she stops breathing momentarily.

“Whooping cough is not always a loud obvious cough,” Tee wrote on Facebook.

“The scary symptom for babies is when they don’t cough but silently choke and turn blue or purple from lack of oxygen.”

Tee said she wanted to show how “scary and dangerous” whooping cough is for babies who are too young to be vaccinated.

She explained the head paediatrician wanted her to film the episode to show parents how the cough isn’t always a major symptom in babies.

“Babies rely on herd immunity to keep them safe and unfortunately we cannot achieve that without high vaccination rates,” she continued.

“If we weren’t in hospital and sitting watching our baby 24/7, the outcome would be fatal.

“Please don’t ignore the warning signs - our baby girl only had a slight cough to start.”

Tee’s heartbreaking video, shared on Monday 22 August 2016, was viewed nearly 400,000 times in just two days.

“Very distressing to see and it’s great that you both were able to share the video to show how small babies suffer with this disease,” one person commented. “There are lots of ignorant, selfish and plain stupid people around.”

Another wrote: “How people choose to not immunise is absolutely beyond me. It’s a totally selfish decision. I hope your beautiful girl gets better really soon.”

For more information on the symptoms and treatment of whooping cough in babies, visit the NHS Choices website.

Retro Baby Names Making A Comeback

Aurelia(01 of08)

Aurelia is the female form of the Roman classic Aurelius and was (unsurprisingly) most popular during the Roman Empire. The beautiful name is pronounced “Aw-REEL-ya” and means “the golden one.” According to Nameberry, Aurelia was one of the fastest-rising baby names in 2013 and in the following year, it broke the U.S. top 1,000 list to sit at number 832. (credit:Blend Images - Mike Kemp via Getty Images)

Emmett(02 of08)

While the name Emmett is on rise for both genders in 2016, it’s actually starting to gain more popularity among girls. Emma and Emily have always been longtime favourites among parents, Emmett is a rare alternative with a fresh sound. While the name does seem masculine, Nameberry points out that some parents have added an “e” to the end to give the moniker a more feminine look and feel.The name originally peaked in popularity in the 1880s, but has gained a lot of attention in recent years. In 2014, Emmett was number 156 for boys, likely due to the craze of the “Twilight” series which featured a character with the same name. (credit:Thomas Northcut via Getty Images)

Ruby(03 of08)

The name Ruby is very much a part of pop culture, which is likely why it’s experiencing a boost in popularity. Not only is the name found in music, such as the Rolling Stones’ song “Ruby Tuesday,” but also in film characters, such as Ruby (Renée Zellweger) in “Cold Mountain.” Ruby was highly popular between 1900 and 1936. During that time, the name was consistently in the top 50 list for girls. In 2013, Ruby finally cracked back into the top 100 list and the following year, sat at number 90. (credit:Tara Moore via Getty Images)

Felix(04 of08)

The name Felix can be dated back to the Bible, but the moniker didn’t hit its peak in popularity until 1910. Although the moniker has fallen off the charts since then, it’s quickly making a comeback thanks to its “x” ending, which gives it its cool factor. Felix, which means “happy and fortunate,” was number 267 for boys in 2014. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)

June(05 of08)

June is one of those names that seem more popular than it really is. In the 1920s, this moniker was incredibly common, but its popularity has died down quite a bit since then. June only cracked the top 1,000 again in 2008 and in 2014, it was number 317 for girls. Today, the moniker is gaining popularity among boys as well, since it is a variation of the Latin name Junius, meaning “born in June.” (credit:Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)

August(06 of08)

Surprisingly, August was one of the top 100 U.S. baby names in the 1800s. Today, it’s gaining popularity among boys and girls because it’s unique without being too over-the-top. In 2014, the moniker sat at number 242 on the top U.S. baby name list for boys. Additionally, many celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Garth Brooks and Mariska Hargitay have kids with the name August, which only adds to the moniker’s recent popularity. (credit:Noah Clayton via Getty Images)

Hazel(07 of08)

This trendy, old school name is making a comeback thanks to celebrities and pop culture. Back in 2004, Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel and in 2014, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski chose the same name for their daughter. The moniker also gained even more traction in 2014 after the YA novel “The Fault in Our Stars” was turned into a movie, since Hazel is the name of the book’s heroine. Hazel was highly popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although it began to dip in the charts starting in the 1950s and onwards, the rise of nature names has also added to its sudden boost in popularity. (credit:Camille Tokerud via Getty Images)

Ava(08 of08)

Ava is a prime example of how retro baby names can make a successful comeback. Believe it or not, Ava is an ancient name. The moniker was actually first popularized back in 845 (yes, you read that right!) by St. Ava, a woman who was cured of blindness and became a nun. Since then, the moniker’s popularity has tapered off, only to begin rising again in the late '90s. In the past few years, Ava has managed to remain on the top 10 baby name list for girls. (credit:sot via Getty Images)

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