Laramie Pediatrics, pc
Welcome to the online office of Laramie Pediatrics, pc
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Laramie Pediatrics, pc
Welcome to the online office of Laramie Pediatrics, pc
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A Guide to Croup
Symptoms: Most
infants start with a mild “Head Cold” that progresses to a “barking cough”
and trouble breathing air into the lungs. Most infants have a fever (99-102 degrees).
Since their airways get irritated over the day’s activity, their coughing (and
breathing trouble) tends to be worse at night time. In as little as 24 hours the
infant can start having increasing difficulty breathing and need oxygen to catch their
breath.
Since it’s
caused by a virus, Antibiotics are not useful
for Croup, but may be needed for secondary bacterial infection. Steroids (either by mouth or inhaled) are used to
help decrease the swelling of the airway. They are safe used for short time periods. Steam and Humidity also help decrease the
inflammation. Even if you use a humidifier, take the infant into the bathroom and steam up
the bathroom. It's much better at getting a lot of humidity to swollen, irritated airways
in a short time period. Giving lots of fluids is also very important for the infant or
child. Decongestants that contain the chemical
called Phenylephrine also help reduce the
swelling.
Most infants with proper treatment go back to a “Head Cold” in a few days and recover totally. Some continue the croup a few days longer. Watch for increasing breathing distress with “sucking in” above the collar bones and neck area, pale or blue facial color (suggesting a need for oxygen). Call immediately if it occurs. If you have further questions about croup, you can contact us at: |
Send mail to
Klep@Laramiekids.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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