Is there always a fever with croup?

[Skang]

Dd had suddenly developed a barking cough and seems to struggle to get her breath when she does cough. It's not a constant cough though. She doesn't have a temp at all. Does it sound like croup? It's very definitely a barking cough.

Would ibuprofen help?

No, not always a temp. The only thing that ever worked for my son was dexamethasone which can only be given in a hospital. I've honestly lost count of the number of midnight A&E trips I've had.
Ring NHS direct if you're not sure, but if she's struggling to breathe take her to A&E or ring an ambulance now.

Don't give ibuprofen.

My DD didn't have a high temp with croup. I phoned NHS Direct and they sent an ambulance.

Not to alarm you. She was only 6 months old and it came on very suddenly in the night and had the stridor effect (struggling to catch breath inbetween coughing).

Taking them outside to cool air, or into a steamy shower can help.

But if you are at all concerned I would call an out of hours number, NHS direct in Scotland. If she is struggling to catch breath I would call for medical advice.

She was given steroids in hospital, kept in a while then sent home.

Thanks. She's not struggling to breathe, just when she coughs it tales her a couple of seconds to get her breath back. She isn't coughing all the time so is breathing fine now. She hasn't coughed for 15 mins or so.

Hope she's ok.

How old is she? I would maybe just get medical advice to make sure. easier nothan in the middle of the night. The GP later told me about the cool air or steamy shower.

Mine never had a fever. Between them all, they had croup many times.
We always ran the hot tap at the bath, the sink and the shower to steam the room.
They had to stay in the room for 30 minutes, often minus most of their clothes when they got too hot from the steam.

That sometimes had to be done 2 or 3 times during the night if the cough returned. I used to keep their bedroom door open to be able to hear them if they woke up worth it during the night.

If the steam didnt work, hospital.

How much is their chest going in and out?

Cool air was recommended to us. DS has had it twice. The second time they sent an ambulance. If she's really struggling to breathe then don't let her lie down. Keeping DS vertical really made a difference.

How old is DD?

I would ring NHS direct while giving her the steam, even if she is a lot better.
And still listen out for her in the night. I dont want to alarm you, but it may come back again later tonight.

Croup can really escalate in the early hours of the morning. Hope she's ok and it doesn't get any worse, but keep a close eye her just in case. Maybe get prepared with what you might need if you do have to make a mad dash to hosp at 2am. Hopefully you won't need it tho.

She's 2.3. She's sleeping soundly at the moment (although I'm trapped under her!) So I'll just keep a close eye on her. We cosleep anyway so I'll be with her all night. It doesn't look like she has any St r at the moment.

Thank you all

Hope you have a peaceful night OP x

I would go straight to hospital TBH. I have had a lot of (usually bad) experience of it and they always tell us to go straight in with a bark. I took my friend's daughter as soon as she started when they were staying with us and the hospital said we should have called an ambulance, she didn't sound as bad in the hospital either.

BTW you need cold (either open windows, sit outside or sit in the freezer) not steam. It's inflammation so you need to bring that down.

open her pj top so you can keep an eye on her chest
if it looks like her chest is sucking in at the bottom of her ribs then phone the ambulance straight away

Anywhere around her ribs (the bit at the top of the breastbone/ base of neck, between the ribs or the bottom of the ribs) you need help. Also try counting her breaths, normal is about 25-35, if it's faster than that then get her looked at.

She was on the rest of the night. No problems breathing at all but did keep waking herself coughing.

She seems fine today apart from a normal sounding cough and runny nose. The cough is nowhere near as barkish as it was last night so I'm wondering if I jumped the gun thinking it was croup?

Croup is normally worse at night so the fact its different during the day probably suggests it is croup. Most croup clears up on its own anyway - sometimes it takes 2 or 3 nights though - and you only need to seek further help if it is bothering the breathing at all. Opening the window and getting fresh air are good to help.

Hope she sleeps better tonight!

What Sirzy says. Except, with mine, opening the window at night and letting cold air in was pretty disastrous. But they have asthma too. We were told to do the opposite. Open the bedroom door and open the bathroom door once finished steaming, and let the warm steam go into the bedroom.
My advice did come from about 10 years ago, so perhaps there is different advice now?

Well since I last posted she has developed a temperature!

We will definitely do the steam and cold air. Her bedroom is always cold anyway as we don't have radiators upstairs.

Thank you both.

She is not feeling good at all now but I don't think it's croup. Her cough doesn't sound like a bark now and she doesn't have any stridor at all. She's breathing fine, just through her mouth though. I think it's just a virus or something.

She does however have one really gunky eye. She can barely open it now as it's sticking her eyelashes together. It looks red too but probably because she's rubbing it.