Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do if my child gets croup again? 

If you have heard the characteristic ‘seal barking’ sound that a child with croup makes when coughing, you will never forget it
Dr Phil Kieran: What can I do if my child gets croup again? 

Most children will fall into the ‘mild croup’ category, which consists of a barking cough but no breathing difficulty and can be managed without medical advice at home

My three-year-old had croup last winter, which we treated with steaming. I found the whole experience very frightening. If she gets croup again, is there a point I need to call for emergency care?

There are very few conditions I can diagnose from another room, without seeing the patient or asking any questions, and croup is certainly one of them. If you have heard the characteristic ‘seal barking’ sound that a child with croup makes when coughing, you will never forget it.

Croup is a viral infection which causes inflammation and swelling of the vocal cords and upper airways. It is widespread and generally happens in children between six months and six years of age. Like most viral illnesses, it is more common during the winter.

It can be caused by many different viruses, but mostly it is a family of viruses called parainfluenza. This infection can show as a slight runny nose or cough in the 12 to 72 hours preceding the barking cough.

As with almost all viral illnesses, we have no specific treatment for the virus but thankfully it will usually resolve by itself over about five days. Most children will fall into the ‘mild croup’ category, which consists of a barking cough but no breathing difficulty and can be managed without medical advice at home. You can give the child some paracetamol if the child has a sore throat.

Dr. Phil Kieran. Picture: Dan Linehan
Dr. Phil Kieran. Picture: Dan Linehan

I know most of us have been told or have at least heard that steaming will help this condition but more recent medical advice shows that cold air is much more effective at relieving the cough. In this case, leaving a bedroom window open at night could make all the difference.

Croup will almost always be worse at night, which makes it far more stressful for the parent.

If your child has croup, you may notice that they make noise when breathing in (like the sound of someone breathing through scuba gear or how Darth Vader’s breathing sounds, if that’s easier to imagine). If this noisy breathing only happens when they are running or if they are upset, you don’t need to worry about it.

If this noise (stridor) is present when they are lying still or you notice the skin below their ribs pulling in when they breathe in, you need to bring them to a doctor.

The doctor will likely prescribe some steroids to reduce the vocal cord swelling and prevent breathing issues. This won’t get rid of the cough but will prevent any breathing issues.

  • If you have a question for Dr Phil, please email it to parenting@examiner.ie

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