3 Children with CROUP - HELP!

My daughter just got over this a few weeks ago. a humidifier really helps out, and I used a Robitussin cough medicine (I don't know which one as we used it all, but ask the pharmacist). If the cough gets really bad, open the freezer door and let them breath the cold air, that helps with the inflammation.

Our two year old had it 3 or 4 times last winter. She would wake up coughing so bad that she would throw up. It was awful. We did get a prescription cough medicine from the dr. that helped a little--mostly I think it made her feel better to think she was taking medicine to make her better. We had to take steroids one of the times and we used a cold mist humidifier every time she had it, which helped. Also we would take her out for a drive in the car with the windows down and the cold air seemed to help (bundled up in blankies of course). Each time it seemed like it lasted a week to 10 days before she was really better and the coughing had subsided to where she could sleep through the night. One thing to watch, our dr. said that once they get it, it's easier to get again and recurring croup is also common with kids with allergies/asthma (our daughter has allergies to several things). Good luck!

Croup is VERY serious.
Steam - steam - steam.
Turn the shower on hot - fill with steam and stay in there for 15-20 minutes.

At night, a cool mist humidifier with a "tent" over the top to keep the mist in.

I would have them all looked at tomorrow to have the Dr listen to thier lungs.

Croup can be very serious. we took our 7 yr old to the ER last year with it. Run the hottest water in the tub and close the door and sit in the steam, or cold air outside helps too will help. You're trying to open the airway, which is inflamed and swollen, so she can breathe. Also, caffeine can help for a bit if it's bad...but you'll need the doctor to prescribe something to get rid og it.

Hi A.,
I have two daughter, 5 and 8, and both have had croup several times. Usually croup gets worse at night. I always run a humidifier in their room. We've even made a tent around one of my daughter's cribs with the humidifier blowing into it. Our Pediatrician has told us that the cold air really helps reduce the swelling of the vocal cords, so leaving a window opened to allow the cool air to come in helps. I've taken my daughters outside in the middle of the night to allow them to breath in the cold air. Then taken them inside into a steaming bathroom which my husband was preparing while we were out. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

Hi A.,

My son had this quite a bit when he was younger. He's always had terrible allergies which would lead to the croup. I didn't give him any medicine for the "croup" he did take allergy medicine. I would take him into a small room (like the bathroom) and turn on hot water so the room would steam up really good and just hold him and rock him. This would clear it up when it would be at it's worst. Like when they're coughing uncontrollably and it seems there's stuff they can't seem to cough up. This loosens it so that it can clear. I also put an inexpensive humidifier in his room as well when I knew his allergies were at their worst. Now that he's 5, he seems to be over the croup part. He still has the allergies, etc. and meds for those, but maybe his body deals better now that he's bigger? Hope this helps you some. I know it was scarry to hear my baby sound like that. Sometimes it seemed he wasn't breathing well and so I know how scarry it can be. They also have vapor rubs, but never put it on if you're going outdoors! I tried to use that as a last resort.

J.

I am sorry, croup can be so scary. My son just had it. I knew what to do because my daughter would get it ALL the time when she was a baby. I agree with everyone, steam, steam, steam and alot of extra comforting love from mom, sometimes when the child gets scared it can make it worse because they are getting worked up. My daughter use to get it so bad that we had an ongoing prescription for abuteral. But in most cases like my son...it cleared up in a few days. If it doesnt, make sure to take your child to your ped. to make sure medication isnt required to help relax the airway. goodluck

Hi
My son has gottn this many times. it gets worse at night (of course) either put the in a bathroom and steam it up or get in the car and put the ac on and drive around until the coughing subsides. There is a med. that the doctors can give you to help with the cough but it is prescribtion. So ask about it.
Hope this helps it usally only last about three sleepless nights less if you can get the meds. But it does get worse before it gets better.

Hi A. ~

My son had croup when he was 6 weeks old. It lasted about a week but our pediatrician gave us prednazone. It worked but because he was so little at the time it was difficult to give him the prednazone because it is such a strong medicine.

I hope this helps!!

Hope the 3 little ones feel better soon!!

K.

Run a very hot shower close the a/c vent and the door and hang out in the bathroom (not in the shower), maybe sing some songs with them etc. You all will probably start sweating its worth it, it should help them.

You definately always want to seek medical help with croup. Steroids (Prednizone) are about the only thing that can truly get rid of it, the other things (steam, cold air, etc...) are only to ease the symptoms, and croup can get worse fast (and you REALLY don't want that to happen!). With prednizone, my daughter would be over the worst of it after about a week. After that, we'd treat with Children's Robitussin or Children's Vicks (even at a year old, my ped told me what dose to use) until the cough was completely gone. It takes time and patience, and with 3 in the house that have it I don't envy you, but I do wish you a lot of luck!!

Hi A...
There is no question to if your daughter has croup the cough is like a seal...My son had it a bunch of times and so did my daughter, she is actually going through it right now again, but she is also asthmatic so we have the prednisone here so we started her on that and her nebulizer treatments, but for my son we put him in the steam shower for about 15 mins and if that does not work take her to the ER she will need steriods to help her..
I hope everyething works out,
Meg

Croup is fairly common. Usually it doesn't occur past the ages 3 or 4 because it affects airway passages by swelling. After those ages a child's airway passages are usually large enough that the swelling isn't as likely to affect the child. Some kids are simply prone to getting it, like my boys. Usually going in the bathroom and running a hot shower works, or if it's cold outside at night sitting in the cool air also relieves a lot of the swelling. To keep them sleeping through the night we try to head it off with a vaporizer that we can add some Vicks liquid to. We haven’t found any medications that actually do anything for the swelling.

I found that when it got so bad that my son couldn't sleep at night when he had croup, I did 15 min. in the hot steamy bathroom, and then 15 more minutes in front of the open freezer (he fell asleep in the middle of the 2nd 15 minutes). It got so bad, that the second day, the pediatrician dissolved steroids in Gatorade, and had him drink it.
I hope they feel better soon!

My daughter got it the first time two years ago and now everytime she gets sick she gets croup. Once they get it they will continue to get it until they are about 6. My daughter gets it so bad that she is on a nebulizer(oxygen machine) every time she gets it and has had hospital visits in the middle of the night because she can't breath. The best thing to do is try to keep them elevated when they sleep and have them take Benadryl to ease the congestion. Have them take warm baths before bed to clear out their little systems and if it gets bad turn the shower on the hottest it will go and sit it the bathroom so they can inhale the steam. Also, run a humidifier at night and during nap time, actually guring the day if you are inside as well. When my daughter gets croup the doctor always puts her on a steroid or gives her a steroid shot. So if it's bad enough your doctor will perscribe it. The only other thing to do is wait it out like a cold. Hope this helps!

I took my son (1yr) to the Dr. on Friday (09/08) because his voice was raspy and had runny nose. Dr. said it was common virus but could turn into croup and if he started having trouble breathing to take him to the ER. Throughout the night it did exactly that and we had to take him to the emergency room (following the on-call staff's direction) Sat. morning 'cause he wasn't breathing too well. Needless to say I know quite a bit about croup now. The best way to treat it is with cool mist humidifier in room (nurses suggest keep it running in their room all the time while they are sick so their room is always moist for when they need it), lots of fluids and if they get a coughing episode take them into a bathroom where you run a hot shower and let the steam build up and let them breath the steam for about 10 minutes. The Dr. also suggested taking them outside if it was cool and humid as that would help open the airways. I looked up more info. on WebMD and it said it was highly contageous and is normally derived from an upper respitory virus (it listed a couple different ones I think). The Dr. and website both said 5-7 days. What the ER did to help my son breath better was give a shot of steroids and breathing treatment of epinephrine and cool mist, we were then sent home and he seems like he is almost over it. But now my husband and I are sick :o)

One thing that usually helps my kids is steam. If you can turn on the shower as hot as possible (make sure the kids don't touch it) and get everyone in the bathroom to breath the steam. Leave it running while you sit in there for like 15 minutes, and it can really help. It will be hot and humid, but if you read a book or something it will go by quick. My kids always want to write on the mirrors in the steam. A humidifer can work too, but not nearly as well. Hope they feel better. My kids usually get 2-3 bad nights and then it gets better. Good luck!

Put the child in a hot steamy bathroom, and then in the cool night air. It's scary. If it looks like the child still can't get air, call 911.

My daughter has it right now. I think it is going around. The advice that you got about the steamy bathroom and cold night air is right on. Also, because it has persisted for more than a week, my doctor prescribed my daughter Ceron (an antihistamine/ decongestant) that seems to be breaking some of the crud up. You might ask about that.

when the cough is getting loud take the child into the bathroom while the hot shower is running and steaming it up. Some doctors prescribe medicine, it lasts about 1 week.

My daughter had that. They gave her a steriod shot and we used her nebulizer that we had from when she had RSV. A humidifier in their room at night seems to help also.

Hi A.,
My daughter had croup many times when she was little... it seemed like every cold she got turned into croup. And each bout would last up to a week!
We used a cool mist vaporizer (not a steam vaporizer) in her room and rubbed Vick's on her chest. When the coughing fits were really horrible, we would take her outside into the night air, or stand in front of the open freezer until she could catch her breath.
As for meds, our pediatrician recommended Triaminic night time formula and also prescribed us a cough syrup with codeine in it for last resort use. The codeine syrup does the trick, but causes drowsiness and constipation, so we tried to use it sparingly.
Good luck... I can completely sympathize!
-P.

Hi A.,

My oldest who is now 7 used to get croup almost everytime she had a cold until she was about 4-5 and then she out grew it. You have to be careful with croup, it worsens at night, and you need to watch their breathing. We had to rush her to the ER one night because her breathing had become so labored. The doctor can recommend what medicines are best, but we only used them when her breathing got scary. If your childs breathing isn't that labored at night, then no need to worry, it will clear up. I know how scary that "barking" sound can seem, but its only scary when they can't breath. Usually, if you run hot water from the shower in a closed bathroom for about 5 minutes, the humidity will help open up their airways, and get rid of some of the congestion. Just sit with them in the closed bathroom and read a book for a few minutes. Also, a quick trick that would work for us at night, would be to take her outside where its chilly. Breathing in the cool air seems to help as well. Croup usually lasts as long as a typical cold, about a week. Hope this helps, and best wishes!
C. Helm

Croup is not such a big deal untill it is a big deal...like if your child cant get enough air in...untill then, it is just a cough that sounds like a seal bark. Keep your kids warm, in bed, no dairy, no sugar, steaming when nessesary and echinacea. If it is reoccurent you might check into a food allergy ( like dairy).
My youngest daughter had croup 3 times in her first year and then we cut out dairy and she hasn't had it since.
T.