Croup - Dallas,TX

Consider investigating homeopathy. I had one child who had croup every year for ten years. Then we used Aconite (Boiron brand, bought at Whole Foods). You need to get some help with the dosage because my child was quite a bit older. You should be able to find it on the Internet. These are harmless and inexpensive. We have been croup-free for 2 years now.

Again, do some research on this or perhaps find a homeopathic physician to help.

has he been tested for allergies and asthma? My son has both and gets a croupy sounding cough at night. There are great preventive meds if he has either, Good luck!

My daughter did the same thing, and it turned out she had asthma, so watch him closely and ask your pedi about it pronto! Good luck!

My son was the exact same way. His pediatrician finally put him on Cingulair.

Same thing happened to my daugher when she was 2 yrs old. Turned out it was allergy induced asthma and she had to get on an inhaler to control it. She is 7 now and has nearly outgrown it except occassionally when she gets a real bad cold, which is maybe once a year, she gets back on her inhaler for that week! She is also on singulair to help control the allergy that induces the asthma...it helps alot!

If by croup you mean that seal sounding cough, my son gets that all the time. My daughter never had it so it is true that some kids are more prone to it than others. Originally I was told whenever you hear that seal sounding cough, you should expose the child to heavy steam for 10 minutes and then extreme cold for 10 minutes and repeating two more times and it will make the cough stop. During the winter, we'd turn the shower on hot and sit in there away from the water and then bundle him up real good and take him outside for the cold part. During the warmer months, we'd still do the shower steam, but we'd let him sit on the floor or on one of his little chairs in front of the open refrigerator with a blanket over him for the cold part. Each time we've followed this routine, it's worked great to eliminate the croup.

Recently though, we took our son to the doctor for a sinus and ear infection and mentioned that those problems started after another croup episode. Our pediatrician gave us a sample of Singular and told us to break it up into 4 mg size (he only had 10 mg samples) and give it to him at night before bed whenever we heard the seal sounding cough. We crushed it up real good and put it in a drink or some food and It has worked beautifully!! He sleeps soundly and breathes through his nose with no problem when we give him the Singular.

You might ask your doctor about the Singular to see if it's something that would work for your son. My son is 5 though so yours may still be too young for that. Otherwise, the steam/cold routine works, but I will admit it's a bit tiresome, especially since it seems to always happen late at night, at least for my son. Good luck!

Blessings,
N.

Make sure you use a humidifier every night in his room. Some kids are more prone than others - one of mine is, one is not. If he is actually sleeping most of the night, then it's not too bad. If he ever actually has problems breathing, turns blue, or seems to be gasping for air - take him to the E.R. Does he wake up coughing at night? A little vicks on the chest can help too. And tons of water day and night.

My son was hospitalized 3 times for the croup so I know what you are going through. He will become asthmatic after age 5. Did your doctor recommend a nebulizer for the home? Back in the 90's they did not and I had to go to the ER every time. My nieces were able to use nebulizers at home and did not become asthmatics. Then he had his last episode age 10, he was on inhalers after 5 years old. He grew out of it after that.
At night I had to have a cold mist humidifier and he was propped up with pillows since the croup worsened at night. The hot shower did not work.. had to call an ambulance for him. Cold mist was better. I hope your doctor works with you getting a home nebulizer.

At our house, we love the warm-mist Vicks Vapor humidifier. It has a spot for a cough suppressant, which is awesome since little ones at this age aren't supposed to get cough medicine. This clears up our sons cough! I was so thrilled b/c he had been coughing through the night for a week. We bought this product, and he was better that night. Love it!

I agree with humidifier and steamy shower we get this with both my kids a few times a year. My pedi also said to put them in steamy shower and if it is cold out immediatly take them outside or put head in freezer the cold helps. And it really does that is why in the day they are better because they are up running around. They told me same thing this year at ER.
Good luck

I had that problem as a child. It turned out I was allergic to a few things. Maybe you should have an allergy test done. Also, try turning the shower on hot only for 5 minutes and take him in the bathroom ( obviously not in the hot shower, but in the room with the door closed) it can help.

Hi My son who is now 6 was extremely prone to croup since he was a baby and got rsv. The good news is that they outgrow it. After croup episodes of 5-6 a year (2-3 severe enough to need runs to the ER at night) he slowly came down to maybe 2 a year by the time he was 5. Between 5 and 6 he got a couple of mild episodes but they were occasional and didn;t sound that bad. 2.5 and 3 were the worst of it...every cold ended up with croup and he was up the entire night. So take heart! I am sure you are trying the cool mist humidifier and standing in a warm steamy bathroom with him when he has an episode. See if your ped. will let you keep a nebulizer at home for those times when it gets really bad and you are not in a position to run to the ER. I do think that some kids are more prone to this but they do outgrow it...at least it lessens by the time they hit school age.
Good luck! I know it's frustrating but it too will pass!

My son is 16, and I have been very surprised that he is still prone to croup -- not as extreme as when he was small, but with a cold he still needs the vaporizer at night and has a barky morning cough.The vaporizer helps, as does steam (a towel drapped over the sink with hot water running can work). Homeopathy can be helpful. My son uses aconite, but the correct remedy can be individual to the patient. Elevating the head of the bed can also help some. Good luck.

I'm sorry about your son, P.. Both of my boys were prone to croup as well, but they outgrew it by about age 5 or so. The steamy shower and humidifier helped some, but with my oldest we had to do occasional breathing treatments. I hope your son feels better soon!

My son started getting croup when he was about that age. It was just like it sounds with yours - more often at night, any time a cold hits, etc. With him though it is usually more serious. We had to take him to the ER in the middle of the night one time because he was struggling to breathe. That's what I would watch for. It's true that some kids are more prone to it. For our son, the Vicks and steamy bathrooms never helped. We now own a nebulizer and give him breathing treatments with meds when he has an "episode". For our son it is usually very sudden with no warning signs. I would say if your son is sleeping ok through the night and not coughing himself awake then it is probably ok.

Hi P. - croup is laryngitis in children. The barking noise is caused by the swelling of the airway. Kids airways can swell and close up more easily than adults which is why we get so concerned about it. A full case of croup is often treated with humidity and a steroid to reduce swelling.

Sit with your son in a steamy bathroom before bed and even upon waking and put a humidifier in your son's room when he sleeps and be sure to keep it very clean. The humidity will help with the cough and the congestion.

Keeping your son well-hydrated will help as well.