Croup advice please

[mummytopebs]

My dd 11 months has had a barking cough for around 4 days, today she has took a turn for the worse, sleeping lots and off her food and diahorrhea. Took her to gp who said croup but no temp so no antibiotics. He said if she coughed for to long to call an ambulance as it can effect there breathing quickly with croup. Just looking for some advice really, anything to help when she starts coughing and how long do i wait while shes coughing to call an ambulance - Is this necessary?

Standard advice is steamy room, so sit on bathroom floor with shower running

But I found when mine had it that cold air actually helped faster, they were both worse at night so I had to stand holding them outside the back door to stop any coughing fits or when it was really bad drive around with the windows open

It was much milder then so you may even get the same effect standing next to an open window

I only took dd to the dr and they didnt mention ambulances to me, but they were slightly older so might have had an easier time

Ds had croup when he was about 15 months old, he was given a steroid to betaken orally but no antibiotics

Not a lot else to do, we kept him in bed with us the worst night, and tried to not let him cry (I know!) as this aggravates croup

The first night was the worst by far

If you have any doubts at all ever call the ambo croup is common but serious

Good luck

My DS also responds better to cold air than steam. It also helps if he sleeps sitting up on me at night - so not much rest for me!

I have taken him to A&E twice cos he has had trouble breathing. The cough has been bad but it's when he can't get his breath that I take him. Both tmes they have put him on oxygen and given him steroids which has helped hugely.

And i would try to go to bed early and cancel everything for the next day or two, sorry to be the voice of doom and gloom but mine wwere definately worse at night and i dont think i slept for more than about ten minutes at a time for several nights

Hope your dd gets better soon (and that its mild and you have an easier time)

Thanks people. I cant take her out in the cold because she has a blood vessel condition, where they close down in the cold, and she always pale and mottled, but will look out for the other signs. She has been dribbling loads today as well, I didnt realise that that was one of the symptoms

In that case i would err on the side of caution with regards to calling an ambulance, really trust your instincts, nobody is going to think badly of you if she already has a prexisting condition that causes bad circulation and she is struggling to breathe.

I would watch the drooling. That can be a symptom of a similiar condition known as epiglottis. If it is this, she needs to be seen.

epiglottitis, i mean

Hi have had a look at epiglottitis and think it is definitly croup as she has the barking cough.

I am concerned though as dd is on asprin because of her blood vessel condition, i am wondering wether I should stop giving this whilst she has croup as it is a virus and apparently if you have a virus and take asprin it can cause reyes disease

I bought a humidifier for her room that gave out a cold ste=ream of steam (don't know a better way to describe it). It really worked. Also agree about the cold air.