Baby has croup - advice ?

[siempreworried]

My beautiful baby had started getting a bad cough on Thursday night it came on quite sudden , fast and heavy , I was worried about it affecting his breathing as his breathing sounded a bit rattly, we took him to out of hours where we were told its croup , I've never heard of it before until now. Baby was given a steroid medicine , I was told that should be him and it's very unlikely he will need another shot of the steroid medicine. Yesterday baby was a bit better, still a bad cough but not the barking sore sound. However, this morning he's woke up with the same cough he had when we first took him to the hospital. The barking hoarse cough. I've been sitting him up right as it's worse when he lays down. I've been giving him plenty of water to keep hydrated. Does this go away on its own? Is there any ways to get rid of it naturally? Does anyone know if cough medicine isn't recommended? I read online it's not should I ring out of hours? Baby has no other symptoms, no runny nose etc only the cough. You can slightly hear the cough in his breathing, as if he needs to clear his throat... I have bad anxiety over this kind of stuff. Advice? x

would like to add baby is 7 months in a few days

My DD got croup last year and she needed two doses of the steroids (one in the afternoon after the GP and then one next morning) but still kept coughing for several days afterwards. It sounded bad for days but then she just got better.

Steamy bathroom and expose her to cold air.

Osteopath treatment can be really effective.

You go back. Not osteopaths or anything else. Straight back. He needs another steroid.

We're not long back from the hospital with the same. Coughing still but not a croup cough anymore. Told if the croup bark returns it's straight back to A&E and he'll get another steroid.

He'll be absolutely fine but go get him seen to.

I'll just clarify that you really needn't worry, and to be clear, if it's the occasional croup bark that comes on when he's upset or running about and out of puff, that's fine. He'll get better in a few days.

If he's seal barking while he's at rest I would get him straight back for another steroid. Sometimes they need a second.

He will be fine either way so don't stress yourself. It does sound bloody awful but he'll be ok.

So the croup sound is the swelling of the voice box (larynx)

Another dose of the steroid (dexamethasone) can be given if it is felt to be clinically necessary - it will take down the swelling in this area for a time but is not 'curative' - it simply helps this particular symptom. To arrange assessment you could you through 111 or you may have Urgent treatment centres available in your area.

The rest sounds like an URTI (upper respiratory tract infection) - more a cold type of virus, which will take time to settle and usual care of plenty of fluid and cuddles and watch for any worsening.

Otherwise cold air can help with the swelling - steam is not recommended (works better for thick snot to thin it out)

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/croup/

I've had many hospital trips with DTs with croup.

Stridor is what you need to look for, when they breath and are sucking in below their ribs. If that happens take him back. Also dribbling can be a sign of something more serious.

It can be a lot worse at night, mine could be relatively ok during the day and then came back at night.

Steam is not recommended anymore.

Mine grew out of it around 8, but still get a barely cough in the night if they have a cold.

The sucking in below the ribs is absolutely something to watch out for but that is not stridor. Stridor is the horrible high pitched sound when they breath in. The seal-like sound.

Pulling in under the ribs or at the trachea are signs of respiratory distress/low oxygen levels and need seen to as well, of course.