Child Exposed to Croup

Like the other moms said, there is not much you can do about it now. But, they did give great advice. My daughter just got over it and I know it is scary. If she does come down with it follow you gut and the advice from the other moms.
If you dont want to take her outside in this bitter cold, having them stand in front of an open freezer works too.
With this sickness, it is always worse at night. My daughter would wake up frightened because she was having a hard time breathing, crying makes this worse. To keep her from crying I would give her a flavor ice popcicle. I was cool on her throat and what kid cries when their mom lets them have ice pops at 4am in bed!?

My son has had croup and bronchiolitis...those not so fun respiratory sicknesses. Many benefits to kids being around other kids, but all those germs spread so easily is the downside. What's contageous about it is the common cold, like another person wrote. I'd try vitamin c foods like mandarin oranges that my kids love to help the immune system maybe. And if she does get that coughing or wheezing, like another person wrote, the shower or a little bit of fresh cold air is what is recommended. The first time my son got croup, we took him to the ER and I was very scared. He was a little better by the time we got to the ER, which they said was due to the fresh air he got going in and out of the car. It is scary at first, but knowing what helps makes a big difference. Now when he gets it, it's not scary, as he's prone to it and has had it a few times. It's pretty common. When we were at the ER, someone else was there for the same thing and the doctor also mentioned how common it is this time of year. Best wishes to you! Sickness season sure isn't fun! :)

Once she's exposed, it's probably too late. My daughter suffered from croup for years, she was very susceptible to it. If your daughter wakes up with an awful barking cough unlike nothing you've ever heard before, that's croup.

Steam up your bathroom and take her in to let her breathe the air. If that doesn't help, take her out in the garage for a minute or two to let the cold air shock her lungs.

If you're really scared, and it's a scary thing, don't hesitate to call your pediatrician for advice.

Running a cool-mist humidifier in your daughter's bedroom at night can also keep croup in check.

Good luck!

Dear A.,

Kelly is right. My daughter just had the croup and both her pediatrician and the ER doc (I didn't know what was going on and she appeared to have trouble breathing, however once we got to the hospital her episode was over and she was fine), both said Croup is not contagious, just the cold itself is contagious and can develop into croup.

Croup itself is not contagious. The cold that brings on croup is just like any other cold. Some children are prone to croup whether they get a cold or not and some will never get croup. I have 3 and my oldest has never had it while my 2 youngest get croup with every cold and my very youngest gets croup just about every other month (he has to see a specialist about it). And then of course there are complications from croup like bronchitis (sp?) and pneumonia (my son's scary sickness of choice...) I would just keep an eye out on her for cold symptoms and treat them as they come and if she starts to show signs of a barking cough or horsey (sp?) wheezing while crying then take her to see her doc ASAP. The sooner you catch it the easier it is to treat! Good luck!