Croup - your tips on how to make comfy please (and other info)

[Tranquila]

have just come back for docs with 18mo ds3. he has croup. i haveno experienceof thisso

doc said its viral and nowt to be done about it - will go in own time. which im happy enough with but

1 -is there something soothing i cando for him in the meantime? buttercup syrup for eg?

2 -and in the night when its really bad and hes struggling for breath and doesnt seem to 'get' that he can try to get some of the gooey stuff up by coughing and that it might help... doc said a steamy bathroom. any better ideas? or specifics on how that goes?

also - how long does it last usually?

and - are the other ds's and adults in the house likely to get it? (i had a sore throat yesterday, was that my version poss?)

ta v much

Poor thing. It is horrible for them.

2. Run very hot water and keep the doors and windows closed until the bathroom turns into a steam room. Make sure you've removed anything with colours likely to run from the bathroom beforehand and air well afterwards.

I don't know about the infection thing. DS always gets croup like symptoms with a common cold rather than actual croup.

However doc did say that it is common in kids because their pipes are smaller so their breathing is more easily restricted.

Raise his head when he's lying down as being flat on their backs makes it worse. I also find karvol or a chest rub like snuffle babe helps a bit too.

My brother used to get this a lot, and I can remember my Mum doing the steamy bathroom thing - she'd also boil a kettle with the lid off (so it wouldn't turn off) to steam things up quicker. We never got it, but like Otherside said, it's not the infection as such that makes that horrible cough, it's because the windpipes are so small. You might get the infection, but you probably wouldn't have the same symptoms.

Mine has had this and the shower / steam room as recommended by osotc is a great one for emergencies when they are just not getting their breath.

I heard it can take weeks for the virus to go away and that attacks can recur, although the cough may not be continual.

Also my little one couldn't cough up very well. It helped to put her across my knee with her head slightly lower (chest down) and rub her back gently. That way when they cough they can bring the phlegm up.

God it brings back such bad memories. Poor you.

This is horrible, isn't it? My DD gets it every time she gets a cold and I've found buying a humidifier (from Argos) has been absolutely brilliant. Never found I could get the bathroom steamy enough, and anyway, than means waiting till they're bad enough to wake up. When she has it I set the humidifier up before she goes to bed and run it all night, which really helps. Only downside is room can get a bit damp.

hmmm.... much food for thought. thank you everyone.

a warmer in the room with some olbas for kids tonight then.

and raise him up with pillows

he has just started sleeping in a normal bed - a bunk under his brother. might have to keep him out for a bit... hes a bit noisy at night . oh well, thats another routine down the pan then

is cough syrup any good then? or pointless? what about medised to sleep?

thanks mrsM, dp was patting his back to loosen it up for a few hours last night... will tell him to try doing it the way you suggest.

will look into that diplodocus... tho we actually spoke about putting a dehumidifier in one room this morning as it smells abit stale and musty (cowboy builders left the house exposed to rain for ages when doing the roof part of all the work and only just moved back in so noticing the resulting damp, grrrr)

May also be worth, when the worst is over, to get him tested for allergies. Mould spores can cause allergic reactions, so try to get your damp patch sorted out (or keep him out of that room). When they have allergies their pipes get inflamed which make it harder.

righto. thanks mrsm