CROUP

Croup is a viral illness that occurs in children, usually under the age of 6, in the fall and spring.  The medical name for it is laryngotracheitis.  It is caused by a virus called parainfluenza.  It can be “spasmodic,” which means it can begin suddenly in the middle of the night in a child who was well during the day.  It can also occur in a child who has had symptoms of an upper respiratoy infection.  It usually lasts one to two nights, with improvement by the day time.

The classic symptom of croup is a barking cough, sounding like a seal. They may also have a squeaking sound when they breathe in, which is called stridor.  This comes from inflammation and swelling of the upper airways, which is different from wheezing, which comes from the lower airway passages.  Without a stethoscope, it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference.  So, if you are unsure, we should examine your child.  Because it is caused by a virus, a fever may also be present.  Laryngitis is another symptom.

Treatment is most commonly done at home.  We usually recommend taking your child into the steam from a shower or bundling them up and taking them outside into the cold night air.  This treatment may need to be repeated several times during the night.

If your child does not improve, they may need to go to the emergency room.  If the symptoms are continuing during the day time, you should call the office for an appointment.   Antibiotics are not prescribed for this illness, since it is caused by a virus, but we sometimes will prescribe an oral steroid to help with the inflammation.

Croup is contagious, so another child could potentially contract croup from exposure to it.  An adult or older child may contract the virus, but will generally only get upper respiratory infection symptoms and/or laryngitis. 



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