The Croup - coughing

[cats7494]

My 8 month old daughter was just diagnosed with the croup
Has anyone else dealt with this?
How long are they contagious? On some websites they are contagious for 3-4 days...is that correct?

Thanks for any input.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Each of my daughters has been diagnosed with this several times. Not much you can do. They tried using - the word is escacping me --- one of the machines where you breath in medicine. ( Xopanex or pulmocort ) Didn't help much. Strangely, what occasionally helped - is to take them outside if it is much colder than indoors. Sometimes that helped some.

I know how horrible croups sounds. You wonder if they are really ok. You think it is much worse than it is. Heck, I have even taken mine to the hospital at 3AM....

Fortunately, at least in our case, it stopped at age 3.

All I can say is "hang in there". And good luck!

 

[Sandy V.]

You have my sympathies. Both my kids are teenagers now, but they both had it when they were little. I don't remember how long the contagious period lasts.

One of the methods that we used was the steam shower thing. You run the shower at the hottest temperature on the fullest force, and sit in there with your child for 20 minutes. It really did help with the breathing (although we both looked like wet mops when we came out of there).

They did give my kids the steroid medication - prelone syrup, I believe. That also helped.

I don't want to worry you, but croup isn't just for little kids. My son had it in middle school and it was very scary then.

 

[hydster]

Oh man I remember the croup days like they were yesterday! I spent HOURS in a steamy bathroom with a croupy baby / toddler and it was no picnic! I think it did help me lose weight though cause I sweat like a menopausal woman on crank!

I'd get a WARM air humidifier *yeah I know I'll get flamed* and use it in your childs bedroom and during the day if you are at home keep a pot of boiling water on your stove to make the house more humid. If it's colder outside go there as well and then pack a fun pack for the bathroom and sit in there with your child. Fortunately it usually doesn't take too long for most kids to get over it!

 

[EthansMom]

My kids have both had croup. It's basically just another virus (similar to a cold) that turns into the nasty barking cough (sounds like a seal) for some kids. DD2.5 get croup only about half as often as DS5 develops it.

Both of my kids get the most relief from the oral steroid (prednisone), but I also give them albuterol and pulmicort (both inhaled) since viruses seem to kick up their asthma... more coughing .

If your daughter gets croup again in the future, ask your pediatrician if you could get a prescription of the oral steroid to keep in the house for the next time she might get croup. In our house, my kids will get a sniffly nose that seems like just another cold for a day or two and then one night (always at night), they'll develop the nasty croupy cough. It's wonderful when you have the medication on hand and can give it right away.

As another poster mentioned, hot showers really help a lot. When my kids were younger, I would carry them in with me.

Usually with croup, I keep my child(ren) home for a few days until the croupy cough has completely passed.

 

[taximomfor4]

Croup is caused by certain viruses, like a pp mentioned. As the child grows, their airways grow. Once their airways are big enough, it doesn't get the characteristic barky cough anymore, it is just like a cold. In fact, when dd was 8, we had to call an ambulance for her. Shower, outside into the cool night air, NOTHING worked. The medics gave her oxygen, then albuterol in the squad, then more oxygen. The hospital workers were floored since none of them had ever seen a kid over the age of 7 need to be in the hospital for croup. (Of course, dd has her OWN set of rules, lol.)


If AT ALL possible, do without the steroids. They TRASH the immune system for about 6 weeks.
Anyway, just like any virus, it'll be contagious for several days. I would say for as long as they have wet symptoms just in case. And AVOID babies and small children -- it can make them more seriously ill, espeically if they have any sort of respiratory issues already, like asthma.

Beth

 

[plutolovr]

My now 21yo daughter had the croup when she was 11 months old. Do you know that ever since then she gets a "seal bark" like cough. In fact her nickname at college is "barky".

 

[ahutton]

We've had it around our house too. My oldest seems to get it quite easily. Our ped suggested warm tea or other clear liquids in a sippy cup - whatever you can get them to drink as it seems to help keep the path clear. Once old enough I have also had good luck with a little honey, but I believe they are supposed to be over one year old first.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Both boys have had croup several times, and it is pretty scary the first time! The reason kids outgrow it is that croup causes the tissue in the throat to swell and narrows the airway, and when they cough it produces that horrid sound. The older child has a wider throat, so a little swelling doesn't cause the croup sound, just a bad cough.

DS6 had RSV as a toddler, so is prone to respiratory infections, asthma-like raspy breathing and swollen tissue in his throat. He often gets that croup sound when he gets a regular cold. If it's bad enough to require albuterol, we keep him home, but otherwise he goes to school because he's got the same cold everyone else has and is no more risk to them than they are to him.

With true croup, it gets really bad at night, and we've done the steamy bathroom and standing outdoors on a cold night (with the baby wrapped up for warmth, of course.) Hang in there, it will get better!

 

[binny]

Cam had croup a lot as a young child he eventually grew out of it around 7 I guess.


The best thing for him was going outside or opening his window and having the humidifier going all night long and vicks rub seemed to help as well.


Good luck! I know its miserable.

 

[mudnuri]

well, I'm going against the grain here...

1st off, pulmicourt, or albuterol, or a steroid inhalled nebulizer treatment will not cure croup. corticosteroids may help reduce swelling in the airways, but it will not make the virus go away any quicker...Croup is a VIRAL infection.

Some things that MAY help- raising the head of the bed, so the child isnt' laying flat while sleeping....

COLD air- does NOT have to be steam- the change in temerature will "shock" the lungs, causing constriction, which helps increase the ease of breathing...

TONS of fluids...light meals- excessive coughing sometimes causes vomitting- to reduce this- give light meals...

The humidifier should be a cold air, not warm air, but if you have a warm air- its better than nothing...

I can't tell you how many nights DD8 and I spent out on the deck, wrapped in blankets so she could stop coughing....she had severe croup a couple times- enough to go for a ride in the ambulance.....and now that I'm in school for Respiratory Therapy, this is one of the illnesses that concerns me the most..

Good luck

Brandy

 

[ohiomom28]

My son had it when he was about 5 months old. Scared the crap out of us! By the time we made it to the hospital, he was fine because of the cold air.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Our DD had it when she was 5 months old. Poor little thing, barking like a seal and like others said, scared the $#%^ out of us. Her tiny nose was stuffed and she was having trouble breathing. Fortunately, I'd heard about the running into the streamy shower trick, and it worked wonders! Spent a long night with DD in a steamy bathroom -- water was dripping off the walls it was so wet in there. Called the Urgent Care nurse and she advised humidifier at home and then the next day I took her for cool long stroll outside, and she was better within 24 hours. No need for meds or even a Dr's visit.

She's never gotten again nor has her twin brother.

It's scary at the time, so my thoughts are with you, but just know that everything will be fine.

 

[cats7494]

Thank you all for the replies! The dr. gave her 2 steroid shots and it has made huge improvement in her breathing and coughing.
She is pretty tired and is cranky - which is very different for her.
We seem to have caught it very quickly and hope the virus goes away soon! Thank you all for your good wishes and advice.
We did go out in the cool air for a little while tonight and she loved it We also have a cool mist humidifier that we keep on all the time anyway.

thanks all

 

[RitaZ.]

I'd get a WARM air humidifier *yeah I know I'll get flamed* and use it in your childs bedroom and during the day if you are at home keep a pot of boiling water on your stove to make the house more humid.

I used the warm humidifier until our ped said that the cool mist humidifier would work just as well. Whenever DD gets a cold, which sometimes ends up with croup, I set up the humidifier in her room. It really helps her to sleep comfortably and prevents that barking cough.

This is what I did in a desperate moment... The first time it happened to DD, I took her to the bathroom and turned the hot water on in the shower, but it just wasn't working fast enough. I had DH boil a pot of water, then I had DD inhale the steam. It worked really fast!

 

[aprilgail2]

My almost 7 year old gets it all the time..the Dr told me they outgrow it by 3 but not my daughter. I usually just grab the nebulizer and make a little tent over her with her blanket and run the medicine that way so she just breaths it in.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

my 5 month old grandson has it right now . we were at the hospital twice last week. he also got his 1st ear infection about 3 weeks ago, dont know if it totally cleared, but along with croup he has another ear infection. thefirst time he was on amoxacillon. now hes on autmenten. sunday at the hospital he was so sick, very high temp. i just wanted to cry.but of course i didnt cause my dd26 ,his mom, was so worried already.....today he is getting a little back to his old self. he is usually a good, smiley,funny little baby. so i hope all goes well with your little one. oh yeah , we have been outside at all hours of the night when he wakes coughing alot. the cool air really helps.

 

[jennobrn01]

I want to second the suggestion of elevating the head of her bed. Put a couple of thick books under the feet on the end where her head usually is. It does help to ease the stress of breathing and keeps secretions from forming "puddles" in the mouth and upper airway.

I hate the croup. Hoping your little one soon heals!