Croup

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2004
Croup
3
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 8:43pm
I don't know how this happened. My baby is breastfed, never goes out, yet he has croup! The ped. said his throat was so inflamed, he could hardly breathe. Poor baby, he has to take a steroid and a decongestant. Anybody been through this before? How long should it last?
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2004
In reply to: svodak1
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 9:34pm
I am sorry to hear that your child is not feeling well.
Not a easy thing for such a young child to be sick like that.
I hope he feels better soon.
I do not know anything about Croup, but I hope it does not last long.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
In reply to: svodak1
Wed, 08-11-2004 - 12:05am

Hi, I remember Croup very well unfortunately! My children are like there dad, thank GOD and are rarely sick. But I remember the horrible night I woke up with my first ds crying when he was 8 months old. I really thought he was dying, he was acting like he could not breathe. We rushed him to the ER and found out he had croup. I remember he had to take breathing treatments with a steroid medicine/ Night time is the worse for croup and I remember I had to stay up to make him comfortable. It helped that we slept sitting up in a recliner. Laying down seemed to make it MUCH worse. Here is an article I found for you... hope this helps. Oh I think it lasted for about a week but got much better after 2 days on the medicine.


Preventing croup attacks

You may be able to prevent croup episodes, or attacks, of intense troubled breathing and coughing. If your child has croup:



  • Use a cool air humidifier in your child's room. Do not use a hot vaporizer, and make sure to put only plain water in the humidifier. Although research has not consistently shown that croup symptoms improve with humidifier use, using one poses very little risk and may benefit your child.1 Be sure to empty, clean, and completely dry out the humidifier between each use to prevent mold growth.
  • Offer plenty of fluids to drink. Always have water available and try offering other beverages, frozen ice treats (such as Popsicles), or crushed ice drinks several times each hour.
  • Do not smoke, especially in the house.

Do not use medications designed for the common cold, which may include antihistamines (such as chlorpheniramine or diphenhydramine ) and decongestants (such as pseudoephedrine or oxymetazoline ).


Managing attacks of croup

It is important for you and your child to keep calm during an attack of croup, even though it can be frightening. If your child is upset, crying, and anxious, the swelling and narrowing of the airway can become worse. Usually, symptoms sound worse than they are.


Taking measures to manage an episode of croup, such as adding moisture to the air and keeping your child calm and comfortable, can help keep symptoms under control. If coughing and difficulty breathing do not improve within about 30 minutes despite your efforts, seek medical attention from a health professional. Because attacks often occur in the middle of the night, you may need to visit a hospital emergency room.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
In reply to: svodak1
Wed, 08-11-2004 - 10:01am
my dd had croup alot as a baby....... like 5 times.... in 2 summers.but hers was always in the summer,,, so i started to try to put puzzle pieces together.... why is she getting it so often.well we know she has nodules on her vocal chords.which cause problems in her throat ...... she gets hoarse alot... the last 2 times she had croup, it was the same night she was in an indoor pool.... so the conclusion finaly came, that she was allergic to something in the indoor pool... that was making her nodules swell and also causing croup........ this poor kid would cough up clear liquid....and it wasnt from her swallowing the water, cuz she was in her floaty and her face never touched the water.... i had later read that with chlorine poisoning, the lungs fill with fluid, so now i wonder about chlorine allergies too... outdoor pools dont bother her , she might get a sore throat after the first few times being in one in the summer, but she never gets sick.so we AVOID , heavily, indoor pools...makes her mad, but not worth taking a chance again..croup is more common then you realize.. if you have any questions, look it up in kidshealth.org that is my favorite web site lately, so informative... and in mommy terms.....lol.....