As a parent, few things can be more frightening than when your child wakes up in the middle of the night with a harsh, loud cough that sounds something like the barking of a seal. Croup can be scary for both the parents and the child, and is caused by inflammation around the vocal cords, or larynx, and the trachea (windpipe). As the child’s cough forces air through the narrowed airways, this causes the vocal cords to vibrate, resulting in the distinctive sound of croup.
Croup most often is seen in children under the age of five. It can be more severe in children ages three and under, due to fact that the child already has small airways to begin with. My oldest son used to develop croup almost every winter when he was small, which resulted in several hospital stays during the worst episodes. Most of the time croup is not serious and can be treated at home, but in severe case, the child may be required to stay overnight in a hospital for treatment in a moist, oxygen filled tent.
My son’s pediatrician always recommended using a cool mist humidifier in his room at night during bouts of croup. Sitting with the child in a steam filled bathroom is also another good way to ease croup symptoms. You can do this by turning the shower on the highest heat setting and allowing the room to fill with steam, sitting and breathing in the humid air much like you would in a sauna. Obviously, keep your child from touching the scalding shower water. It is advisable to sit with your child during bouts of croup to comfort them and help them relax because if they begin to cry, this will only make their symptoms worse. If the weather is cold, you can also bundle the child up in his/her warmest winter dress, and take them outside as the cold air will help to alleviate symptoms. I can recall many a night when my son and I would be sitting in the steamy bathroom or find ourselves outside in the middle of the night in winter. Both methods usually worked to help ease his breathing and to help control the “barking” cough.
Croup tends to become worse at night, and is most often caused by the parainfluenza virus. Less often the causes may be from other respiratory viruses, and the cause is usually viral as opposed to bacterial. Children are exposed to these viruses by breathing in infected droplets that result from coughs or sneezes, or by touching surfaces that are contaminated with these droplets. Croup may make your child’s breathing labored and noisy, and can make their voice sound very hoarse. Your child may also run a fever when suffering from croup.
While many cases of croup can be managed at home and will reside without medical intervention, you should see a doctor if your child’s fever is over 103 degrees, if the croup is accompanied by a noisy, high-pitched breathing upon inhaling known as stridor,or if you notice them having trouble breathing or swallowing. For severe cases such as those my son experienced as a young child, prescription corticosteroids may be prescribed, or a brief stay in the hospital may be in order.
To help prevent croup, follow the same hygienic practices you would use for cold and flu prevention. Good hand washing and using hand sanitizer are good preventative measures, although you cannot possible avoid every exposure. Rest assured, you and your child will most likely get through this episode just fine, although it really can be a scary time for you. Most of the time croup sounds much worse than your child actually feels.Croup is an illness whose “bark” really is worse than it’s bite.
To learn more about croup, please visit the Mayo Clinic website. This source has several pages of information on the various aspects of croup, so be sure to read all of them to gain the most information.
