Can anyone talk to me about their experiences of Croup?

[sillysow]

Hi All

My lo (1st child) is 8 months old and has had a number of bouts of croup - going into hospital twice.

I guess I am a little concerned as to when it will resolve.

She has also had a number of coughs/colds over the last few months and is not gaining weight at the moment - not loosing either though.

Can anyone tell me more about their experiences ?

Hi just to say my dd is four now and has had croup a few times,usually find that the oral steroids they gave her helped.
She also gets many colds and will often sound wheezy but she has asthma inhalers now even though my doctor doesnt think she is asthmatic,but the inhalers do seem to help.

Croup is horrible isnt it.
Think your dd is probably not gaining much weight because every time they get a cold they go off their food.

Wishing your dd good health

My doctor said that he would grow out of it at 5 yrs and he did. It is horrible-I found it very frightening and the only thing to help was a steamy atmosphere.

My daughter has had three quite nasty bouts of croup, the first one was when she was 8 months old, I had gone to a friends for the evening, came home and she was barking like a dog! DH had slept through it, even though the monitor was next to his head

I was terrified, phoned the GP who said to take her to hospital, got there she was seen straight away and put on a nebuliser, within minutes she had stopped making that terrible noise! She was given steroids and was back to normal a day later! I was told by the doctor on duty that we should have called an ambulance and if it was that bad again phone for one?

Other two times she wasn't quite as bad, I put her in bathroom with the shower on very hot, the steam calmed her down, took her to the local hospital for the nebuliser again. Last time the shower and steam worked on its own, I knew what to expect last time!

The steam in the bathroom thing works a treat, but all I can say is if its really bad call an ambulance or go directly to A&E yourself.

My dd2 had croup last year, a couple of days before her 2nd birthday. She had the typical croupy barky night cough but I didn't immediately take her to the doctor - dd1 had had it and it had gone away on its own. However, when it was worse the next day I took her to the docs in the morning and she was also put on a neubuliser, then we were admitted to hospital overnight and they administered her steroids through a drip in her hand, they said it was the quickest way to get her better. She was pretty much back to herself byt the next morning, although we used the inhalers for a while and still occasionally use them if I think she's getting coughy again.

It is quite scary and can get worse fast so best to take her to the doctors if you are not sure.

Hello, My DS has also had various bouts of croup, last episode started as I woke him from his nap to take DD to the doctors! Thank goodness - they put him straight on a nebuliser.

I was told it gets better as they get older and their throat tubes (don't know medical name!) get wider. It is the same virus as adults get, but we can breathe through the inflammation as our tubes are wider, so the swelling has less effect IYSWIM. Apparently around 5/6 yo.

My DS is also very small and doesn't gain much weight. A few bouts of illness and it takes months to recover the weight.

DO see you your GP if you are worried about weight gain/other development though - might be able to put mind at rest.

Thank you for all your reassuring replies. Yesterday actually turned out to be the best day we have had in terms of appetite and lack of cough/wheeze - so fingers crossed onwards and upwards.
She has had two hospital trips with it over the last month and the oral steroids do seem to have helped lots.

Many Thanks

Just to add to the others, sillysow, that they do grow out of croup. DD has had several bouts, the last one a year ago when she was three. We're hoping that's it for her, but I know that some get it until they're five or so.

She's been admitted to hospital overnight twice - we do try the steamy bathroom etc first. But if it doesn't show any signs of improvement, we go to A&E for steroids, nebuliser etc. We've found it less frightening as DD has got bigger as we can explain what's happening and calm her down more.

Hope your DD continues to feel better and get her appetite back.

Mine only had it once but was hospitalised for 4 days. Now is four, v active, proper weight.

EVERYONE I spoke to in hospital said they never never mind you going to GP or A&E with suspected croup. They said if in doubt, go there fast.

But yes, kids grow out of it pretty quickly.

Hello, had to pop in here to join in the support. Last week DD was very poorly wheezing and gasping for breath. I took her to the doctors and she was put on the nebuliser and was back to her normal self afterwards and had the steroids and inhaler. The doctor didnt mention croup specifically in fact he didnt give it a name just a cold caused an ear infection which caused a viral infection was as much as we got.

If it happens again I will get an ambulance straight away now its dawned on me the seriousness of it. When I got to the doctors I expected them to say give her calpol and plenty of fluids which is what they always say. I usually get told its just a cough, they all get them blah blah blah

I was wondering how long you keep your kids off school after this??? DD still has a very chesty cough and is still a bit congested with a fair bit of fluid on her chest. Although very happy and back to normal in that sense i worry if I send her back too soon she might not cope if she picks up more germs. How long are your kids off school after this?