How long does Croup last?

[mamagardener]

My 15 month old baby has croup, we spent Thursday night/Friday morning in the ER.
They gave him epinephrine and steroids. My question is, does anyone know how long croup lasts? Anyone else have this situation before? He is still having the barking cough, and raspy sound when he breathes. Should I be worried, or is this normal?

 

[mamaKate]

My three older kids had routine bouts of croup throughout their babyhood and pre-school years. Here is what I learned:
1) Give lots of cold clear liquids-not cow milk; breast milk is OK.
2) Turn on the shower to really steam up the bathroom and then drag a chair into the bathroom and keep him in here as long as you can. A humidifyer in his room helps, too.
3)No wind or very cold air. Cover his face with a thin blanket even from the house to the car.
4)Try to keep him from crying.
5) This is the most important one. NEVER-NEVER let anyone smoke anywhere near him. My two youngest kids grew up without cigarette smoke and didn't have one instance of croup.

 

[mamagardener]

Thanks MamaKate
that's pretty much what I have been doing. I was just wondering how long the symptoms last for.

My 2 older ones never went through this, so I am at a loss about what to expect.

 

[TMNTCkins]

My son had croup as a little one he caught it from a child in my daughters class. Everything that was posted before is very correct. My sons lasted for I think about 5 days. Once we got the steroids he got better every day but he hated the steroids so it became hard to give him (they taste nasty). Lot's of showers, no running around he had to stay calm or he would start to cough really bad (or as calm as a little on can). We took our son back after two days of steroids to make sure he was getting better. Hope he gets better soon.

 

[mamaKate]

It's usually about the same as any other cold or infection. The coughing usually lasts less than a week.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

My youngest was a bit different. Every year in January or February he would come down with Croup. I had to nurse him in the hospital in an oxygen tent the first time. Every year, but only once a year he would get it.
It would almost always be in the late evening or early am. I would bundle him up and rush him to the hospital and 1/2 the time he would be better by the time we got there.
The other half he would get the steroids, and breathing treatments and meds.
The doctors told me that when it happened, to bundle him up and take him outside. Either that or in a steamy hot bathroom.
I could never get it steamy fast enough. He would be so frightened he would cry and then I would be scared to death. A child who can't breath, can't be allowed to cry.
So we would sit out in the cold until it got easier to breathe. We would then stay up late and watch movies "Tremors" was his favorite. It calmed him down even if it wasn't the most appropriate movie for a child.
Most children outgrow it by the time they are about 10. He is my only one who has this problem and he also has exercise induced asthma. I often wonder if my having pneumonia when I was pregnant with him somehow transfered over. I know it isn't, but I still wonder.

 

[mamagardener]

Thanks for the replies everyone. So is it normal that I am in the kitchen, and he is in the bedroom and I can still hear that barking cough out here? Is it too long?

 

[TMNTCkins]

It's normal. It sounds like a seal barking. It sticks around for about 5 days (if I rem right).

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Yes it is normal. As long as he can breathe fine you should be ok. I would do a follow up with the doc (if you can afford it) on Monday if he is not better.
Rest, liquids, warmth, sleep, cough meds if he'll take them. No milk products. He should be fine.

 

[babylady4]

Everything here is correct.

I was told by a nurse to expose the child to cooler night air (not super cold). This will help them breathe better by aiding in shrinking the tissues of the throat (I think). I never tried it though and I had ALL 4 of my kids have croup several times. I spent a lot of nights in steamy rooms.....

Running a vaporizer in the bedroom the child sleeps in will keep the humidity level up so you can at least get some sort of decent sleep.....

Good luck mom!