The onset of cooler weather brings along with it the risk of respiratory infections for both children and adults. One of the most common respiratory illnesses encountered in young children is croup. Croup, otherwise known by the somewhat difficult-to-pronounce name of laryngotracheobronchitis, is usually caused by a virus and results a characteristic cough that has been likened to that of a barking seal. The symptoms of this common viral illness tend to be more severe at night after the child goes to bed with the child often experiencing difficulty breathing due to inflammation and congestion in the upper airways.
The conventional home treatment of croup has characteristically been humidified air. In the past, parents have usually been instructed to have their child stand in a hot shower and breathe in the warm steam. While parents have been using this standard home treatment of croup for decades, a recent study shows that it may be no more effective than no treatment at all.
In this study, published in the Cochrane Database, the researchers looked at a group of three studies comparing the use of both cool and warm humidified air with no treatment of croup. Surprisingly, the results showed that neither cool nor warm humidified air was any better at relieving the symptoms of croup than no treatment at all.
Fortunately, most cases of croup subside on their own in two to seven days even in the absence of treatment. In cases where the symptoms are pronounced and a child has significant problems breathing, there are other treatment options including the use of oral steroids and injections of epinephrine to open up the inflamed airways. Most children won’t require this level of treatment unless they’re experiencing marked breathing problems.
What should you do for home treatment of croup if humidified air is ineffective? The most important thing is to make sure your child has croup and not a more serious respiratory illness such as pneumonia. You would need to have your child’s pediatrician make the diagnosis, although the characteristic cough associated with croup usually makes it easy to distinguish from other conditions.
If your child is having serious difficulty breathing in and out or appears weak and tired from the effort of moving air, he or she should treated in the emergency room where oral steroids and epinephrine injections can be given. This is important since in very rare cases, croup can be life threatening. If not, simple reassurance is usually the best option. It’s important to give your child enough liquids to stay well hydrated if he’s running a fever and make him as comfortable as possible. Sometimes opening the window slightly and allowing him to breathe in the cool, night air can provide some benefit.
Fortunately, the symptoms are usually self-limited and will disappear on its own in a week even without treatment of croup. Following your pediatrician’s instructions and making your child as comfortable as possible are usually the best treatment options.
Reference:
- Moore M, et al. Humidified air inhalation for treating croup. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 2006, (3): CD002870
