Croup is an inflammatory response or swelling of the respiratory tract. It is usually caused by a virus and is more common in young children age 6 months to 3 years. Your child will have a barky cough, hoarseness or noisy, high pitched respirations (stridor) and lowgrade fever. This usually happens at night.

If Your Child Shows Signs of Croup Please Do the Following:

• If the air in your house is very dry, place a cold air vaporizer in your child’s room. This will increase the amount of water in the air. Remember to clean the vaporizer each time you use it. Wash it with dish detergent and hot water. Then soak it for 8 hours with equal amounts of water and vinegar.
   
• Encourage your child to drink lots of fluids. If your child is an infant:
  
  a) continue breast feeding if this is your usual way of feeding;
  b) encourage juice, Lytren, Pedialyte, water.
  
  If your child is older, Kool-Aid, pop, jello or popsicles may also be used.
   
• Your child may not feel like eating at this time. If your child does not eat for a day or two, it won’t hurt him or her. Offer small amounts of his/her favourite foods. Also offer soft foods such as puddings, yogurt, egg, mashed potatoes, ice cream or apple sauce. Your child’s appetite will soon return to normal.
   
• If a medicine has been prescribed, make sure your child takes the medicine at the time recommended.
   
• Watch your child for difficulty breathing. If a barky cough or stridor happens again, take your child outside in the cold for fifteen minutes (bundle your child warmly).
  

Return To The Emergency Department of the Hospital If Any of the Following Occur:

• Cough or stridor does not stop.
   
• Your child has pulling in of the chest muscles, especially under and between the ribs.
   
• Your child has fast and/or shallow breathing.
   
• Your child is very pale or bluish looking.
   
• Your child is very restless with any of the other symptoms mentioned.