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Croup
Croup is an infection in childhood caused usually by a virus, that results in a peculiar and irritating cough that is often described as "barking" or "seal-like". Most children experience this in the winter and usually it begins in the night time with cold symptoms and fever often alongside. Most children can be made comfortable by sitting upright and opening the window but some children need to be taken into the bathroom with the shower running and steam in the air to moisten the airways. If 5-10 minutes in the "steam" doesn't break the coughing spasm switch immediately to cooler air by opening the window or going outside and if it is hot out try opening the freezer door and breathing nearby. The most unhelpful thing some parents do is to get the child upset or excited by turning on bright lights or trying to take a temperature and this can cause the airway to get inflamed and make the croup worse. Croup causes the airway to swell and in the most extreme cases, rare though it is, a child may need emergency care in order to allow sufficient airflow to get into the lungs. Room temperature liquids only if your child is thirsty and ibuprofen if you fell a fever and your child likes to take medicine (don't fight over it since cooling down is not vital at this time, staying calm and preventing your child from crying is).On rare occasions a child may develop recurrent croup syndrome which looks like a mild croup case with every cold for a period of time after the first infection. It isn't clear why this happens to some children but it isn't usually dangerous at all. Don't hesitate to call your pediatrician if your child awakens with a barking cough and isn't comfortable after you've done the "steam" thing or she seems to be struggling for breath. Call an ambulance if she can't catch her breath and of course try to remain calm. Over 98% of croup cases do not even need a doctor's attention so don't panic the first time you hear the "bark" - it is a common childhood illness.
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