| vocal cords to narrow, occurs when croup
becomes severe. When a child has stridor, breathing becomes
difficult, sounds harsh or raspy, and vibrates. Usually
stridor only occurs when a child cries or coughs. However,
as the disease worsens, it will also appear when relaxed
or sleeping.
Croup tends to worsen at night and will affect children
under age three more severely than older children. Throughout
the course of croup, conditions can change from mild
to severe and back several times.
Boys Town Pediatrics recommends the following remedies
to care for a child with croup who suddenly develops
stridor or tight breathing:
- Warm Mist - Place a warm, wet washcloth loosely
over your child's mouth and nose and have him breath.
Or, have your child breathe deeply from the stream
of humidity from a humidifier (not hot vaporizer).
- Steamy Bathroom - Sit with your child in
a steamy bathroom with a hot shower running and the
door shut for at least 10 minutes.
Most likely, these treatments will calm your child's
cough and help her sleep through the night. However,
if the stridor continues after using these methods,
call her physician right away. If she turns blue, passes
out, or stops breathing, call 911 immediately.
To relieve the discomfort of croup without stridor,
Boys Town Pediatrics suggests the following home care
remedies:
- Humidifier - Because dry air makes a cough
worse, use a humidifier 24 hours a day. If you do
not have a humidifier, hang wet sheets or towels.
- Warm Fluids - To relax the vocal cords and
loosen mucus which can cause coughing spasms, offer
clear warm fluids such as apple juice, lemonade, or
herbal tea to children over four months.
- Cough Medicine - Although not as useful as
a humidifier or warm fluids, cough drops or syrup
can help control coughing. Give children over one
year of age, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of corn syrup as needed.
For children over four years of age, cough drops can
be given.
- Observation - Because croup can cause breathing
to become difficult, it is a dangerous disease and
is advised that a parent sleep in the same room as
the sick child.
- Avoid Smoke - Never allow smoking around
your child, as it can make croup worse.
If the attacks of stridor occur more than three times,
a fever lasts more than three days, croup lasts more
than 10 days, or you have any other questions or concerns
call your child's physician within 24 hours.
If breathing becomes difficult when your child is not
coughing, your child begins to drool, spit, or has great
difficulty swallowing, warm mist does not clear the
stridor within 20 minutes, or your child starts acting
very sick, call his or her physician immediately.
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