Dr Bernadette Carr is here to answer your questions

The crèche my daughters attend has had a couple of children with croup in the last few weeks. Could you explain what it is and what symptoms I should look out for?

Croup is common in children aged six months to 12 years and more common in boys than girls.

There are usually outbreaks in autumn and winter possibly because colds and other viruses are more common in these months. Most children will improve within 48 hours and make a full recovery within a week.

Croup is commonly caused by a virus so it can be passed on if you are in close contact with someone who has the infection. It affects the larynx, the trachea and the two airways to the lungs (bronchi). Unusually, it may be caused by bacteria.

The symptoms of croup are:

* A cough which can sound like barking.

* Runny nose.

* Sore throat and hoarseness.

* General aches and pains.

* Feeling unwell.

* High temperature.

As croup is a viral infection it is not possible to completely prevent getting it, so good hand hygiene is important for all the family.

Ensure everyone washes their hands frequently to prevent the virus entering through the eyes or nose. Also, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food.

Be careful touching objects when away from home, such as keyboards and door handles, carry an alcohol-based hand gel.

Use tissues to cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough and throw them away immediately after use.

If you suspect that one of your daughters has croup, you need to bring her to your GP who can examine her.

You could improve symptoms by helping your daughter sit upright. If a child’s symptoms worsen, they have difficulty breathing or you are concerned in any way, then you need to seek urgent medical attention.

My 10-year-old son has a tendency to constipation. What can be done to prevent this?

Constipation can be both uncomfortable and painful and is a very common problem in children, 5%-30% of the child population is affected.

It is important to accept that everyone, children included, have different bowel habits depending on age and to differentiate between what is normal for a child and when there is a change that suggests a problem, such as constipation.

Factors that may contribute include pain, fever, dehydration, dietary and fluid intake, psychological issues, toilet training and family history of constipation.

It is very important that your son has a balanced diet, which should include plenty of food that is rich in fibre, particularly fruit and vegetables. It is also important to make sure that he drinks water regularly throughout the day.

Having a regular toilet habit at a time when he is not rushed, perhaps when he comes home from school or before he goes to bed, can also help.

You could try some of the following suggestions:

Encourage him to take either a  fruit or vegetable portion with  every meal. Stewed fruit makes for  a healthy dessert and smoothies  (when properly made) also contain  a lot of fibre as well as fluid.

Encourage him to have  porridge, muesli or other high  fibre cereals for breakfast.

Carbohydrate is important for  energy but it needs to be balanced  with plenty of fruit and vegetables. n Encourage him to eat high-fibre wholemeal bread and pasta.

Make sure he takes in plenty of fluid throughout the day — water rather than fizzy drinks.

As he may have a tendency to constipation, I would suggest that you bring him to your GP, who can make sure there is no underlying cause.