Croup

What is croup?

Croup is an infection caused by a virus. Croup causes a cough that sounds like a barking seal. Croup is usually seen in children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. Infants and toddlers are at most risk and the symptoms are usually more severe in children under the age of three. It is more common in boys.

What are the symptoms?

Croup usually occurs after several days of cold symptoms. The child develops a seal-like barky cough, hoarseness, and noisy breathing. The airway swells, making breathing more difficult. Children are more likely to get croup, because they have smaller airways. The greatest danger of croup is if the windpipe swells so much that breathing is impossible.

A croupy cough most often occurs during the night, usually in the fall or winter. The child will awaken gasping for breath and coughing. The child may also have a hoarse voice, low-grade fever, and trouble breathing, especially when inhaling. A raspy type noise, called stridor, may be heard when the child breathes in. Both breathing and hoarseness may improve during the day.

How can I help my child?

When the cough gets severe, stay calm. Hold and console the child and keep the child in an upright position. Run hot water in the shower to steam up the bathroom. Take the child into the bathroom and close the door. Cuddle the child in your lap and keep the child calm by reading a story. The warm humidified air should ease the breathing within 10 minutes. Repeat this treatment each time your child wakes up coughing during the night.

If the steamy bathroom session does not work, and the outside temperature is cool, take the child outdoors for a few minutes. Inhaling the cold, moist night air may loosen up the air passages. The child may be able to breathe more easily. You may also open a freezer door and let the child breathe the cool air for a few minutes.

You can also:

A cool mist humidifier or vaporizer in the child's room may help ease his breathing.
Offer your child fluids. Warm fluids may be soothing, or your child may want ice pops.
Keep your child away from smoke that might aggravate the condition, and
Use over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, to help relieve sore throat pain and fever. Children under 18 years of age should not take aspirin or products containing salicylate (such as Pepto-Bismol) because of the risk of Reye's syndrome unless recommended by a health care provider.
Do not give cough medicines without specific instructions to do so from your child's health care provider.

Croup usually lasts for 5 to 6 days, with 2 or 3 bad nights.

When should I call my child's health care provider?

Take the child to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately if your child:

seems to be struggling to get a breath, or breathing very fast
appears extremely anxious, frightened, or looks blue
is drooling and cannot swallow
cannot speak
the chest sinks in when he tries to breathe in, or
makes a whistling or crowing sound while breathing in.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIA File CHL3714F.HTM Release 9.0/2006