Croup is a fairly common illness that occurs in babies and young children. However, while common, experiencing croup can feel scary for parents and little ones alike. Here's what to know about croup, including causes, symptoms and treatment.
What Is Croup?
Croup is an upper airway condition that happens as a result of inflammation in the voice box (larynx) and windpipe (trachea), usually due to a virus. This swelling constricts the airway under the vocal cords and makes your little one's breathing sound noisy, and causes a dry, barking cough.
Croup typically occurs in kids as young as three months old, up to five years of age. Once your child is older, swelling is less likely to get in the way of their breathing, putting them at less risk. While croup can occur at any time of the year, as with many sicknesses, it is most common during the colder months.
What Are the Symptoms of Croup?
Symptoms can depend on the type of croup your child has:
- Viral croup: This is most common type of croup, caused by a viral infection of the voice box and windpipe. Viral croup starts like a cold, then turns into a barking cough, hoarse voice, and noisy breathing. You may also notice a coarse, music-like sound when your child breathes in, known as stridor. Kids with viral croup may also experience a low fever.
- Spasmodic croup: This form of croup is often caused by allergies or even reflux from the stomach. Spasmodic croup comes on suddenly, often in the night. Your child may wake up gasping for breath, sound hoarse, and experience stridor when breathing in. Spasmodic croup doesn't typically cause fevers; however, it can be recurring.
- Croup with stridor: As mentioned above, stridor is something that can happen in all cases of croup, especially when your child is crying. But if stridor occurs while your little one is resting, this could be a sign of a more severe case of croup.
How Is Croup Treated?
The first thing to remember about croup is that the more worked up or upset your child becomes (especially when they wake up in the middle of the night), the harder it can be for them to breathe. Doing your best to keep them calm can help them begin to breathe easier. Sing your little one a calming song, reassure them they're ok, give them some snuggles, or read them one of their favorite books to take their mind off of being upset or scared.
Some parents swear by using steam treatments to help their babies breathe better. While there aren't any studies proving that this treatment is successful, it can't hurt to see if it brings your little one relief. Place a humidifier in their bedroom during the night, or sit with them in a steamy bathroom with the doors closed and hot shower running to keep the steam in.
It's important to note: cough medicines are not recommended to treat the symptoms of croup, and can even cause more harm than good.
If your child is running a fever while dealing with croup, treat them with a fever reducer such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (please note, ibuprofen may only be given to children older than 6 months). During any sickness, particularly when a fever is involved, it's important to ensure your little one is still getting plenty of fluids.
In severe cases, your child's provider may prescribe medication in order to treat croup. Medications include:
- Epinephrine breathing treatments: Breathing treatments using nebulized epinephrine (adrenaline) are typically give in a hospital setting, and can help reduce swelling in severe cases of croup. After receiving a breathing treatment, your child will likely remain under observation for 3-4 hours.
- Steroid medications: Your child's provider may recommend a steroid to decrease the intensity of croup symptoms. Steroids may be given via inhaler, oral medication or injection.
- Allergy or reflux medications: Your child's provider may recommend these medications in order to treat the symptoms of spasmodic croup.
When Should I Contact My Child's Provider?
If your little one's croup symptoms aren't improving, contact your child's provider and arrange an appointment for evaluation. If you feel that your child's breathing is worsening quickly, head to the nearest emergency department or call 911. The following symptoms are cause to seek help immediately:
- A whistling sound that gets louder every time your child breathes
- Inability to speak or make sounds due to not being able to breathe
- Struggling to catch their breath
- Blue tinted lips or fingernails
- Resting stridor
- Drooling or difficulty swallowing saliva
As with any illness, contact your child's provider if you have concerns or questions about their health. Based on their symptoms, your provider can assess whether your child needs an immediate evaluation.
We know that croup can sound scary, mama. But the good news is that many cases of croup are mild and subside within a few days.