croup (long) About This Page:

[cburke]

My DD4 catch the croup while we was camping this past weekend at the beach. She woke us up around 4 am Monday morning coughing and sounded like a seal barking and she acted like she couldn't breath that good. I called her pediatrician (they have a triash nurse on duty when the office is closed) and the nurse asked me alot of questions and then asked to hear Michelle breath. So, I had her try to cough but she just started crying. The nurse was about to listen to her and said she had the croup. She asked me to take her to the bathroom and turn on the hot water to steam up the bathroom (she didn't know at that point we was camping.) Then after telling where we was she said to turn on our A/C in our pop up on high and have her breath in the cold air for 10 minutes than the nurse called back. Michelle was feeling alittle better as she was falling asleep at this point. The nurse said to keep on the air on high for the rest of the trip and that we didn't have to take her to the ER. We got home yesterday around dinner. For the next 4 days I have to sleep with Michelle and have a cool mist humidafier in her room. She has a restless night but she did stay asleep all night without waking up coughing.
I was wondering if anyone has ben through the croup and what you done to help sleep better at night?

[Disneydiana]

I'm sorry I can't help but I'm sending wet well pixies

[JKnott17]

Unfortunately there is not much to do other than what the nurse told you. My DD had croup a couple of years ago, and I don't recall there being any medication given to us for it. Each night before bed we would let her soak in a hot bath, and then afterwards we would run the shower really hot while she sat out of the tub to breathe in the steam. That seems to help open the airways. She also has asthma, so we have a nebulizer and albuteral (sic?) available, so we would do those treatments a few times away to keep her airways open. Basically, croup is caused by inflamation of the airways, which causes them to swell. This is why the cough sounds more like a bark.

[KHarrod]

Our DD has already had croup 3 times this year (she'll be 3 next month). She had it twice last year. Croup can be viral or bacterial; and they can give antibiotics to one, but I can't remember which one. DD was always given antibiotics. She also has asthma and uses the nebulizer with a nightly breathing treatment (prevention) and albuterol (as needed; every 4 hours). It usually passes through the system in about a week, but the 2nd or 3rd night is typically the worst. We also heard steam or cold air is helpful, but we've always just used the nebulizer because it seems to be more effective. If you have an older child, you may be able to talk to the doctor about a temporary inhaler if all else fails.

[Huntermom]

My kids all had croup at one time or another. Like someone said it's an inflammation of the vocal cords and can be a by-product of any upper respiratory infection. I found the cold air approach worked well-my kids had it in the winter so it was easy to just bundle them up and take them outside for a few minutes.

I thought it was just a childhood rite of passage more inconvenient than anything.

[Teresa]

My kids have all had croup. Not much to do for it other than what the nurse told you.
Any time the kids are having a little trouble breathing, I also prop the head of their bed up a little (about an inch or two). this just helps them feel like they can breathe better.
Pixies for your DD to recover quickly, and you to get some sleep!

[Roxie2006]

When my DDs had the croup, I would keep their chest coated with Vicks vapor rub and used a vaporizer. That is the most horrible cough that comes from small children. I would also cut a lemon into slices ( like for ice tea) and then dip it into sugar, so that they would suck the lemon juice, and that soothed their throats. Hope some of these remedies will help!!

[lazanya]

[mandy1627]

I used to get the croup ALL THE TIME when I was little. So much so that my friend got me a stuffed walrus for my birthday one year, because when I had the croup she said that's what I sounded like.

When I had it, my parents would steam up the bathroom with the shower and let me breathe in the steam then wrap me in a blanket and carry me to breathe in the outside air. It seemed to work pretty well, as the cough wasn't pain so much as annoyance.

It's not fun, but I had it so much it became kind of a joke. I thought it was funny that I sounded like a seal...and so did my little sister...

[Paige4]

Both my boys have had their fair share of croup, in addition to the steamy showers, and running them outside in the winter to breathe the cold air their Dr also gives the prednisone (oral steroid) to take for 3 days. We have had some VERY scary nights, we have an emergency supply of prednisone on hand "just in case". Good luck!

[Belle*]

Ryan has had croup three or four times now and also has asthma. When he has croup, we change his asthma meds and add nebulizer treatments as well as a humidifier to his room. Sounds like you got good advice. Hang in there, I know how scary that cough is!

[Cam22]

[Shawnam1868]

[Tink and co.]

My youngest DD was dubbed "queen of croup" at her pediatrician's office. Luckily she's 15 now, and it isn't as much of a problem (She'll still get it occasionally, though.). We found alternating steam and cold air worked well and both she and (my son, once) had to have breathing treatments and/or steroid shots.

[chezp]