Croup or just a cough??

[GlassSlipper]

I have a 6 month old. She woke last night with a terrible barking cough. It came from nowhere as she hasnt had a cold or anything. She now seems to have a runny nose and the cough is there. She is having bouts of coughing for about 30 mins at a time. Medised has helped a bit. She isnt particularly sleepy but the cough sounds awful.

My first thought was croup (from the sound of the cough) but i've never seen or heard anyone with croup so maybe I'm being overimaginative. Inclined to just sit it out with breast milk & calpol as I dont want to go to the GP if he's going to say 'its a virus'.

Advice welcomed

Croup is also "just a virus". Try himified air - run a shower and sit in bathroom, ro open windows. If she is wheezy, sucking in under her ribs, and really struggling to breathe (ie lips go blue) or vomiting constantly seek treatment urgently

Agree with Lizs.

Croup tends to occur in the early evening to night time, ime. If she isn't sleeping in your room turn the monitor up.

Next time she has a coughing bout, take her into the bathroom and sit on the floor with the shower running hot.

thank you. i brought her into my room last night and will do the same tonight if no better.

nhsdirect just confirmed it sounds like croup too but thanks for the tips ref the shower

sounds like croup. Croup is a symptom of an illness,(can be viral or bacterial) and can become very serious very quickly. I had a croup attack at age 30, and couldn't breathe and needed emergency medication.

your dd needs to see a doctor today.

Hi GS, sorry dd is ill

My dd1 had croup at about 13 months: she never had a temp, was mostly coughing at night, and was ok at home - she had it fairly mildly. I did take her to the GP, but early on and she didnt spot the croup part - then I phoned the HV for reassurance, and was told only to go to doctor or A&E if she was struggling to breathe. Ditto LIZS post re trying too hard to breathe - wheezy, sucking in ribs, blue lips/fingernails, constant vomiting: she might need steroids if thats the case.

If you have a humidifier, put it on in her room tonight - and I found being with dd and calming her the minute she coughed and half woke up was the best thing: she got far worse if upset. Its the one time I've had to sleep on the floor in her room, and I did it for two nights - if she had been a baby I'd have done same as you and kept her with me.

Hope she's better v v soon! xxx

Dd was a little better in the night ans all of the cold/snot seems to be coming out now. Thank you for all of your advice

it does sound like croup - and if it is then you will get might familiar with it over the next few years. It usually comes on a few hours after they have gone to sleep. Apparently laying down and being asleep helps narrow the airway and dry it out - and then the croup makes that worse. They can get very frightened when they are coughing so you staying calm really helps. Recognising what you are dealing with makes it much easier.

Things that help when they have it - keep the room moist - eg humidifier or bowl of water with something like karvol drops in it, and damp towel hanging in the room. Keep them elevated - eg extra pillows or prop the cot up at one end. Sometimes cough medicine also seems to help - maybe by just soothing the airway a bit (so maybe even a drink would help).

And during an attack a hot steamy room or sometimes a few minutes out in the cold night air.

If none of that works, and particularly if they are sucking in their chest and/or going blue around the lips then call a gp or an ambulance (we had to have a nebuliser and steroids and a trip to A&E in an ambulance the first time - but not since thankfully).

oh - and it tends to ease off during the daytime and come back at night - usually lasts 2-3 nights.

Dd has suffered from croup in the past. We've done the hot shower, given her a bath, propped the cot up with books, etc. Don't know if they work or not, but it makes you feel like you're helping at least! It's really scary isn't it!

Seems to be improving. We'll see what tonight brings but yes it is scary and horrible when they are so little...