Page 140 - (DK) Home Doctor: Providing practical advice on home treatments

138 COMMON CONDITIONS: CHILDREN’S PROBLEMS

Croup

Croup is a viral infection normally affecting children between
WARNING
3 months and 3 years old. It usually begins with symptoms such
as a runny nose, sneezing, and fever. After a day or two, the Seek immediate medical help if:
child develops a barking cough, like a sea lion, and a hoarse ● Your child’s breathing is noisy
or he or she is having difficulty
voice. Attacks of croup often occur in the early hours of the
breathing, speaking, or swallowing
morning, and if severe, the child makes a whistling noise ● Your child is drooling, or his or
(stridor) when breathing in. Most children recover in a couple her lips or mouth look blue
of days, but the cough may take several days longer to clear up.

See your doctor first
PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE
Arrange to see your doctor promptly if you
think your child has croup, to confirm the Humidifying the air To ease your child’s
diagnosis and get advice on treatment. breathing, you will need to sit together in a steamy
atmosphere in the bathroom for about 20 minutes.
You may want to take something such as a story or
picture book into the bathroom to distract your child.
What you can do yourself
● Close the bathroom door, run the hot faucet into the
An attack of croup can be frightening for you and bath or run the shower, and let the room steam up.
your child. Act quickly to relieve the symptoms. ● Sit with your child seated on your knee, supporting
his or her back. Be careful to keep the child clear
● Humidify the air in your bathroom and sit there of the hot water.
with your child until his or her breathing eases ● Let your child breathe in the moist air
(see PRACTICAL TECHNIQUE, right). for 15–20 minutes, until his or her
breathing gets easier. If this does
● When your child is in bed, increase the humidity
not relieve symptoms, get
in the room by using a humidifier, or place a bowl immediate medical help.
of water or a wet towel beside a radiator. If you
are able to, sleep in the same room as your child Breathing steam
so you can keep an eye on his or her breathing.
Keep your child
● Give acetaminophen to bring down a fever (see sitting upright and
DRUG REMEDIES, right). Don’t give cough medicines. encourage him or
her to take slow,
● Encourage your child to rest and take frequent deep breaths.
warm drinks during the day.
● Sitting upright will make it easier for your child
to breathe. Sit a baby with croup in a baby seat.

Seek further medical advice
DRUG REMEDIES
Arrange to see your doctor urgently if:
Analgesics such as acetaminophen (see
● Your child is still distressed after you have
p.177) and ibuprofen (see p.185) can help to reduce
taken steps to treat an attack of croup fever. Make sure you ask your pharmacist to
● Your child has not recovered from croup recommend an appropriate product for your child.
after 2 or 3 days of treatment