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Original poster

Croup (sp)

19 replies

wiltshire · 14/11/2003 01:14

I was told today by a paediatrician that my ds (7weeks) has croup. he has lost his voice and can't cry. Has anyone else had this prob. As I am speaking he is trying to cry (awwww) it just sounds pitiful. I went to hospital to have this diagnosis. He is feeding ok, sleeping ok and everything is just fine, but he cannot cry and has completely lost his voice. I have set the alarm for his next feed as he can't tell me.

OP posts:
batey · 14/11/2003 06:57

Don't know much about this except that my nephew has had it on and off for years (he's 6) and when it gets bad, being in a steaned room really helps. That is, close windows/doors in bathroom, have the shower running as hot as poss and stay in there until it eases. My poor sis has spent many hours sweating away in a hot bathroom with her ds! Hope your ds gets better soon.

FairyMum · 14/11/2003 07:03

Both my children have had croup several times. They normally get it when they have a cold. It sounds like a very barking cough. I have also tried steamed room, but I find that taking them out in the cold air is better. I always put a duvet around them and take them out in the garden. I have had to go to hospital with them too when the croup has gotten too bad. I hope your ds is better soon!!!!!!!

nerdgirl · 14/11/2003 07:21

My little guy gets this too and both the steam room and the cold night air have really helped at different times. Hope he's feeling a bit better this morning Wiltshire.

fio2 · 14/11/2003 10:14

my ds has got it aswell at the moment (he is 2). I have bought one of those electric vapouriser things from boots. There are ecalyptus strip things to put inside and you just put it on when they are asleep. The thing is I think you can only use it from 3 months on - but might be something to think about for in a few months because some children are more croupy than others iykwim

hope he gets better soon

Boot1 · 14/11/2003 10:29

My DD has had croup a couple of times and it is scary. The first time she had it we didn't know what it was, but common sense prevailed and I took in her to the bathroom for the steam. Going outside is good as well as we found when we took her to the hospital during the night, by the time we got there the barking cough had calmed down considerably but it was still horrible to hear. Wiltshire hope your babe gets over it soon.

Blu · 14/11/2003 10:59

Oooh, poor little mite, and poor you, as it can be scary...the trademark sealion cough. Yes, the steam is effective, and to keep his room humidified, you can hang wet washing over the radiator. we also found that putting a pilow under our DS's mattress so that he slept sloping slightly upright helped. Any real breathing difficulties or touches of blue round the mouth, go straight to hospital...but that's v unlikely, DS had several bad outbreaks and it didn't get that bad.

Grommit · 14/11/2003 11:29

Cold night air helped my dd. We also bought a humidifier and this really helps bad coughs. you have my sympathy - croup is really horrible

Original poster
wiltshire · 14/11/2003 15:57

Thanks for all those messages. I must admit I am finding this very very frightening as he is so young (7 wks today). I didn't think babies got this until about 6 months. I think he may have caught it from the doctors surgery when I went for post natal check (he hasn't been anywhere near any other children). He was lying in his moses basket this morning and I was dozing. I woke up to find him doing that horrendous cough and his whole body was juddering. I thought he was having a seizure! I am not going to lay him flat again as I will never sleep.

Does anyone know how long I should expect this episode to last and will it reoccur. I can't describe quite how awful this is. I expect everyone whose children have gone through this will remember and shudder.

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Original poster
wiltshire · 14/11/2003 16:02

Oh and I know this sound ridiculous, but what constitutes real breathing difficulties. He is choking and going red quite a bit. But the hospital sent me home. I am questioning myself now as I don't know when to take him back. I don't think he should be at home like this. Ever since this cough/choke thing this morning I am afraid to have him out of my sight. God knows what will happen tonight. don't suppose I will sleep.

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fio2 · 14/11/2003 16:08

wiltshire I think its shallow breathing. where the ribs show through and they look gasping for air. Thats what they told me at a&e the other night - I was worried too. Also propping him up a little bit might help - try putting a folded blanket under his head region of the matress

Boot1 · 14/11/2003 17:27

When DD got croup the first time, she was very distressed and after a while her lips went blue by which time the doctor had been and we took her straight up to the hospital. Being in the car calmed her down and her breathing settled but I think it was the cold air.

LIZS · 14/11/2003 17:43

Hope he is feeling better now. Can you sit him up in his car seat or raise moses basket at the head end with rolled blanket underneath. Do you have or could borrow a humidifier?

Watch out if his breathing does change or become more shallow with gasps in at the ribs. dd caught bronchiolitis at 3 months, which can be quite serious, and that started with a pathetic cry, like a cat mewing.

Hope he recovers soon,

Original poster
wiltshire · 14/11/2003 23:48

Liz, thats what his 'cry' sounds like, a mewling sound.

DH made a good suggestion that we get the wallpaper steamer and use that in our bathroom. We left it on for about 30 minutes before taking DS in, but DH (Durrr) had forgotten to fill it up so he only got about 2 mins of steam. Then he went to sleep for about 2 hours, then feedtime. I was worried about steaming just after food - advice anyone?

Also I would like to know, now that I have a bathroom that would champion any steam room at a health club:-

a) how long do I stay in there

b) The paediatrician told me not to put anything in the steam as it would irritate his throat, is this correct. My Dad (aged 71), who said I had croup said I should put Fryers Balsam in the steam. Can anyone help with this. I know this is probably an old remedy, but since things change as often as they do I am a bit worried.

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Original poster
wiltshire · 14/11/2003 23:51

Have rolled up blanket at head end of moses basket as I won't be able to doze if he sleeps in car seat. The moses basket has the Angelcare monitor pad in it and will wake me if anything (God forbid) happens. I don't suppose I will sleep much anyhow.

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Original poster
wiltshire · 15/11/2003 02:00

am still up steaming him in between yapping on here. Anyone else up?

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sunchowder · 15/11/2003 03:21

Oh Wilty--he is TOO young for this, are you alright? Is he breathing alright? I use Olbas Oil in a burner and it always helps my DD.

sunchowder · 15/11/2003 03:23

He would benefit from a bit of massage to help his lymph system--do you know how to do this??

KMS · 15/11/2003 10:34

wiltshire- just caught up on this today.how was your night? began to think it does sound like my friends baby and was finaly diagnosed bronciolitis. may be worth getting him checked again?
really hope this clears up soon for you. when my DS had croup he slept in car seat on pushchair by my bed to keep him sitting so I could nap between cough episodes and the steaming.

LIZS · 15/11/2003 16:15

wiltshire,

How is your ds doing ? Really hope he is improving by now.

Was thinking about this again earlier and remembered that when dd had bronchiolitis we were advised to raise her up to 60 degree angle to sleep (hence my suggestion of car seat but I understand what you are saying). We managed this by keeping her in the moses basket and placing this inside the big cot. We put the head end of the base on the highest setting and the foot on the lowest (it had 3 positions). We wrapped string around it to hold it securely as the screws were not secure in themselves because of the angle. I've got a friend whose dd has had croup repeatedly and bronchiolitis and she used a inhaler at home on one occasion when it was very bad.

Hope all is well,

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