My son had pertussis at 6 weeks. he is now 11. should i be concerned when he gets bronchial colds? is he susceptible to bronchitiiss/asthma?

Basic health needs: Unless the boy had these issues in earlier childhood i would not expect them to emerge now. His earlier bout with pertussis has likely left no remaining change in his lungs 11 years later.However, an important basic issue remains with the pertussis. His early experience with the disease will not confer lifelong immunity.He should have the normalseries of related vaccines.

No: Pertussis @ 6 weeks of age doesn't predispose one to increased bronchitis or asthma later on in life. However, since he is 11 years old, he should receive a tdap vaccine that can protect him from getting pertussis again. This is because the immunity from previous vaccination has likely decreased significantly by that age.

Further evaluation: Early infections if severe may influence lung growth and may cause pulmonary symptoms later in life. If he is 11 years of age now and is having any symptoms related to asthma or bronchitis, I would suggest a follow up visit with your physician. Spirometry may be performed to determine any airflow defects.