Croup

Croup is a viral infection of the voice box and trachea. It starts as a cold, and proceeds to a hoarse, tight, “barky” cough (sounds like a seal). The child may have stridor. Symptoms are usually worse at night than daytime and are most severe in the first two to three days of illness. Older children with recurrent “barky” cough that seems to occur day and night may be caused by mild asthma symptoms. X-ray of neck shows narrowing near voice box.


Stridor

  • Usually only happens when child coughs, or cries
  • May become difficult for child to breathe in
  • Usually HAPPENS AT NIGHT
WHAT DOES STRIDOR SOUND LIKE? Click here. (If file doesn’t play automatically, save file to your computer and play in either Windows Media Player or Apple Quicktime).

What to do

  • MIST: run cold mist humidifier in child’s bedroom
  • FLUID: encourage intake of water, juice
  • MEDICINE:
    1. Croup is caused by a virus: antibiotics WILL NOT help
    2. If over 12 months; OTC cough medicine is OK for severe cough
    3. Use Tylenol for fever over 102
  • EXPOSURE: absolutely NO CIGARETTE SMOKE exposure
  • WATCH CLOSELY: sleep in same room with child

Warm mist

  • Turn shower on hot, close bathroom door
  • When the room is foggy, cuddle child on your lap in the steamy room for at least 10 minutes.
  • TRY to appear CALM; it will help your child relax (fear and crying makes the child’s croup worse)

Cold air

  • If warm mist doesn’t help, (it usually does) take child outside
  • Breathing cool, night air can ease the stridor.

NOTE: If the child continues to have stridor after these treatments: CALL right away!!

Call right away if child has any of the following

  • Difficulty breathing when not coughing
  • Stridor not improving after 20 minutes of treatment.
  • Stridor during daylight hours
  • Drooling, and can’t seem to swallow
  • Sucking in of the skin between the ribs with breathing
  • Lips turning dusky or bluish
  • Child can’t bend head/neck forward
  • Child is less than 1 month old
  • Non-stop coughing that doesn’t improve with 1 hour of treatment
  • Temperature over 100.5 in an infant younger than 12 weeks

Call the office within 24 hours

  • Coughing spasms getting worse
  • Stridor (see above) attacks happen more than 3 times in 24 hours
  • Fever over 104°F
  • Child is 1-3 months old, and bad coughing spasms or
  • Stridor still present after 3 days
  • Child is not drinking liquids fairly well
  • Child has ear pain not relieved by pain medication.