Children's Croup is an Easily Treatable Condition

Croup is a respiratory condition which many very young children contract. It can be a frightening time for parents when their child has croup. So, how do you know if your child develops croup and how can you ease your child's discomfort?

Croup is a condition which makes a young child's breathing difficult and noisy. Most coup cases are seen in children ages six months to three years. Doctors see most cases of croup between October and March, though croup can occur throughout the year.

When a child develops croup his larynx and trachea swell and narrow. The larynx houses a child's voice box and the trachea is where the windpipe is located.

Parents learn to identify croup when their child has difficulty breathing and, when coughing, the child produces a barking noise. A respiratory illness may trigger croup in some children. Both parent and child become frightened as it may come on in the middle of the night. When parents observe a child with this condition, and possibly without a fever, your child may have contracted a spasmodic croup.

A different version of croup, a viral croup, is the result of a viral infection in the voice box and windpipe. One of the markers of a viral coup is an accompanying fever. Children with viral croup may develop a condition called stridor, in which a musical sound is made each time the child breathes.

A child with stridor may have an increasingly difficult time breathing. The child may also become too tired to eat, drink or even cough. Of course, it is critically important that parents are in touch with your pediatrician who will monitor the symptoms.

For many years, parents have been able to provide temporary relief to their child with croup by bringing them into a bathroom which is filled with steam from a hot shower. Set the shower on its hottest setting while you sit with the child in the bathroom. The warm, moist air will often help the child breathe within fifteen to twenty minutes. However, the barking cough of croup will continue following the treatment.

Following the steam treatment, placing a cold water vaporizer or humidifier in your child's room may also provide some relief. If additional attacks of croup occur in the nights following, again try using steam from the shower to allow the child to breathe easier.

Common sense, as always, must be an important part of treating your child. If your child is in distress from fighting for air it may be necessary to call for an ambulance.

Additionally, there is no way to manually open a child's airway with your fingers. And cough medicine may cause more problems as the child is unable to cough up the mucus in his chest.

If your child has croup, most pediatricians will tell you to call them, even in the middle of the night. Again, do not hesitate calling 911 if your child:

· makes a whistling sound that gets louder with each breath
· cannot speak for lack of breath
· seems to be struggling to get a breath
· seems very pale or has a bluish mouth or fingernails
· has stridor when resting
· drools or has extreme difficulty swallowing saliva

It is important to remember that croup is a common illness. Your job as a parent is to provide your child with care and comfort and to stay in touch with your pediatrician. Working with your pediatrician, you will receive the correct direction to nurse the child with croup back to health.