Whooping cough vaccine safe for pregnant women - study

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A new study found that the whooping cough vaccine does not pose any risks to pregnant women.

Researchers at the Healthcare Institute for Education and Research studied more than 26,000 women who received a combination of vaccines during pregnancy. That combination, called "TDAP," includes vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

Scientists found no increased risk for preterm births, small-for-gestational-age births or high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can be fatal for newborns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women should receive the TDAP vaccine between the 27th and 36th week of pregnancy so the antibodies are transferred from mom to infant.

"So, what happens is that mom receives the vaccine in the third trimester, and it creates an antibody response, and these antibodies cross the placenta and provide protection for the baby against pertussis," explained Cleveland Clinic physician Dr. Uma Perni.

Perni said the results from the new study should provide comfort to all pregnant women.

"I think this provides a lot of reassurance for pregnant women to go ahead and get vaccinated during pregnancy," Perni said.

The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association.

ABC News contributed to this report.