People who are born during whooping cough epidemics and survive them are more likely to die prematurely later in life, according to a new study analyzing 158 years of Swedish population data.

Lung infections in infancy may do subtle, permanent damage that make adult infections more life-threatening, the authors suggested.

Wealthy countries nearly eradicated whooping cough, also known as pertussis, with vaccines introduced in the 1950s. But protection has waned — possibly because of safer but weaker new vaccines — and cases are soaring. Last year, the United States had its biggest outbreak in 60 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Swedish study, by Lund University researchers, analyzed birth and death records collected in five rural parishes from 1813 to 1968. Over that time period, average life expectancy rose from 38 to nearly 80.