Croup
Q: My 3-year-old has come down with a barky cough and had some noisy breathing last night. I am pretty sure this is croup. Do I need to take him in to the doctor?
Affinity's medical expert is Daniel Smith, DO, a family medicine physician with the Affinity Medical Group clinic in Darboy.
A: Croup is a childhood respiratory illness caused by a variety of viruses and is usually contracted in the fall and winter months. The typical symptoms are a barky cough and inspiratory stridor (this is the noisy breathing that occurs when breathing in). Commonly, cold-like symptoms of nasal congestion and low grade fever are also present.
The main symptoms of croup, barky cough and inspiratory stridor, typically worsen in the late evening and night. These symptoms may diminish in the day but return the following night. Croup symptoms usually disappear within two to three days.
When stridor occurs it can be mild to severe. Your child may begin to breathe rapid and hard and look like he is struggling to breathe. If the symptoms are fairly mild, exposing your child to cool night air many times will provide adequate relief. If the symptoms persist or are more severe, then visit the local emergency room.
In the case where your child has had symptoms of croup the night before but is doing well the next day, a visit to your child's doctor may be a good idea. Multiple studies have shown that one dose of dexamethasone (a cortisone preparation that can be given orally) can reduce further symptoms and the possibility of needing to visit the emergency room later. The medicine starts to work within hours and will continue to be effective for a few days.
Since croup is caused by a virus, there is no way to prevent the illness (except good hand washing), and antibiotics have no effect on the illness.
Most cases of croup are mild, but if your child has severe symptoms where his face looks bluish in color or the cild is extremely agitated while struggling to breathe, call 911.
