Parents of babies born at a hospital in Dundee are being warned their child may have been exposed to whooping cough.

A staff member at Ninewell Hospital, who worked on the night shift at the neonatal unit, contracted the illness, which can be fatal to young children.

The health board is now contacting the parents of babies who were on the ward.

Babies currently on the ward and other members of staff are also being treated where necessary, though there remains only one confirmed case.

Letters were sent to a small number of families at the weekend, NHS Tayside have said.

Whooping cough, which can cause a "whoop" sound as the patient gasps for breath, is highly contagious but is most serious among babies.

The letters advise babies take a course of antibiotics to reduce the risk of infections.

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: "The NHS Tayside infection control team is currently investigating a confirmed case of pertussis, which is also known as whooping cough, in a staff member in ward 40 at Ninewells Hospital.

"The staff member affected is receiving appropriate treatment. Babies in the ward, their parents and other members of staff who may have been in contact with the staff member, are being offered treatment where necessary.

"We are taking the additional precaution of contacting the parents of a small number of babies recently discharged from the hospital who had brief contact with the staff member.

"All parents of babies who may have been affected have now been contacted directly."

She added: "Whooping cough is an infection that can cause fits of coughing with a characteristic 'whoop' sound, sometimes followed by vomiting.

"The best way to protect your family from whooping cough is vaccination. All children are offered vaccination against whooping cough from the age of two months.

"Women can help protect their baby from getting whooping cough in the first weeks of life by having the whooping cough vaccine while they are pregnant - even if they've been immunised before or have had whooping cough themselves."

Anyone with concerns about whooping cough or their baby's health has been advised to contact their GP or community midwife, or call NHS24 by dialling 111.