CROUP
Croup is a common illness affecting the upper airway, making it hard for a child to breathe. It is most common in toddlers but can affect children between 6 months to 12 years of age. Symptoms include a loud barking “seal-like” cough that is worse at night. Trouble breathing and cough can be scary for both the parent and the child. Most children with croup also have a fever.Most cases of croup can be managed at home. However, children with severe cases may need treatment in the hospital. Call 911, your local emergency number, or an ambulance right away if your child:
- Makes a whistling sound (called stridor) that gets louder with each breath
- Cannot speak because of lack of breath
- Seems to struggle to get a breath
- Has pale, bluish or grayish colored lips, mouth, or fingernails
- Drools or has trouble swallowing
At the hospital, your child’s doctor will decide the best way to treat your child. Treatments may include the following:
- Racemic epinephrine. This medicine can help reduce swelling in the upper airways so that your child can breathe better. Epinephrine is given through a nebulizer, which is a machine that turns liquid medicine into a fine mist. The mist is breathed in through a mouthpiece or face mask. This medicine is only given in the emergency or hospital setting, where the child’s vital signs can be monitored continuously during and after treatment. Often, when this medicine is used, doctors prefer to continue to watch the child for several hours after it is given. This sometimes requires a stay in the hospital.
- Corticosteroids. These medicines can be used in reducing inflammation in the body. They work in 2 ways. Systemic corticosteroids must go through the body to treat the inflammation in the upper airway. Inhaled or intranasal corticosteroids go directly to where the inflammation is.
- Oxygen. Sometimes when breathing is very difficult for a child, the body may not get enough oxygen. Oxygen given through a mask or a small tube near the nose will make it easier to breathe.
Care At Home
If your child has a mild case of croup, breathing in moist air may help.
- Bring your child into a bathroom where a hot shower is running. Let your child breathe in the moist air to help open the airway. However, do not leave a young child alone with the shower running.
- Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room.
- Take your child outdoors for a few minutes. Inhaling moist, cool night air may help open the air passages so that they can breathe more freely. Remember to dress your child for the cold weather.
