Croup

[growingthings]

Okay, I'm here because its three am, my three year old has just been taken off in an ambulance with my hubby, because she has what sounds like croup, was getting really distressed and making the situation worse.

The only reason I am posting this, is I need to get it out and tell someone, if i could have gone with her I wouldn't be feeling like a spare part - but I have a 7mth old to feed upstairs so we didn't want to disturb her. I can't ring my parents up because it is the middle of the night, and I guess that you can all appreciate that this is the most noiseless way of me relaxing enough to get some rest.

I recognised the cough, as my brother had it when we were children, but have no memory of what we had to do.

So far I have found out that it is worse at night (no shit sherlock) what an incredibly scary sounding cough - its no wonder she was getting more than a little bit upset. She has slow speech developement too so sometimes getting her point across can be hard at the best of times let alone when you sound like you are about to cough your own head off!

And that a moist atmosphere can help, she improved a great deal when we took her out of our bedroom and downstairs where it is a bit more drafty!

So any suggestions on how to get this little girl through tomorrow night? As it'll take a little while to get over I'm sure.

Right I'm off to check on the baby, and try and rest while I wait for the phonecall to come and collect them both.

Thanks for being a sounding board - and I didn't have to get anyone out of bed!

lorna x

[ina]

Poor you - I can't give you any good advice, but can only say that yes, it's good to have this place to go to and "talk"... I do hope she'll get better soon, and that somebody else can be more helpful!

[Milims]

Sending gentle hugs and hopes that your wee one is better soon and that all is peaceful x

[baldowrie]

The hospital will probably take blood gases and treat or not treat accordingly. She will more than likely be given antibiotics.

The cough responds to a hot streamy room, so a bath full of hot water and the door shut, best to strip off, help make the cough more productive.

If you can borrow a humidifier or put a bowl of water on a radiator that will help to some degree.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/fac ... ocroup.htm

Is she up to date with her vaccinations? Had the diphtheria?

Other than it antibiotics and time.

Hope she feels better soon and has no need to stay in hopsital longer than necessary

[Shirley]

It's really scary when it happens isn't it. My son had it just the once when he was younger and it was just the one night that was really bad - he was given antibiotics the next day and they worked really quickly. Can't really add anything to the above, other than to send you all my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[invisiblepiper]

Hi - my son suffered from this very severely - and it linked to asthma when he was seven.
First - well done for treating seriously as some people don't.
Second - if you can catch the onset of the attack - put OLBAS oil into a bowl of steaming water and let the wee one breathe it - preferably with a towel over his head to contain the vapour. When my son was very young - I had to get under the towel too!
Otherwise somewhere steamy -a shower cubicle? was a good place to wait for the doctor.
Good news is that children outgrow it.
Old fashioned Vicks rub was good too - as is a few drops of Olbas on the pillow.
I hope your daughter is fine today!

[missie moo]

our eldest had this when she was 11 months old, over christmas and new year. she was poorly for about 3 weeks and we actually had to turn back when we were travelling from france to the uk and delay the journey as the coughing made her vomit and she was distressed. she slept a LOT though as she recovered - 20 hours on one day as i recall.

she had antibiotics and the same steam treatment as everyone else has mentioned. also, we kept a kettle in her bedroom and boiled this (with the lid off) several times during the evening to keep her bedroom steamy as well. she's nearly 19 now, but i do remember it very clearly .

i hope she's better soon
jane

[growingthings]

Collected her and her Dad a little after 5.30am. So she wasn't there for long. She's had a steroid, and has to see the GP tomorrow.

She's in bed, but the cough is starting up a bit, we've been following the moist air rule. and that really seems to be working, and if it gets too much we just give her a blast of fresh air outside and that seems to be doing the trick.

thanks for the words of wisdom or support,
better go as she is about to wake herself up again! oh dear .

Lorna x

[invisiblepiper]

That IS good news (not the waking up bit!) All the best.

[Annpan]

It sounds horrendous Hope she is feeling better soon.

.... can I ask what a croup cough sounds like? I have never heard of it, but by the way you are all talking it seems quite common What causes it?

[baldowrie]

if you read the link I posted it will tell you

[Penny Lane]

Glad you've got her back home again, poor little thing.

I thought my son had croup a couple of nights ago as he woke up with the characteristic 'seal bark' cough. I took him downstairs for a couple of hours and it went. Now he's just got a normal cough so I don't think it was croup, just an effect of the nasty cold we've all got.

[snapdragon]

aww thats so horrid for you all - when my little one had croup my GP gave us some very old fashioned (and herbal) medicine - tasted awful but worked quite well. I was also advised to buy a vaporiser.
However I found that drying the day's washing in his bedroom each night did the job

[clare]

yes, my 2 year old had croup about 2 months ago and we went in an ambulance as I didn't know what it was and within 2 hours she was fine just a normal cough and cold but she was given a steroid(I believe severe asthama sufferers are on these so made sense)we spent 4 hours in A&E and then my Husband had to wake up my 6 year old and come and collect us as we are 20 miles from the hospital it was all awful and then when I told my Mum she said "oh your Brother had it all the time get some steam in the room and it clears does the trick" Even my Doctor said although it is scary, steam really is the best way and that children usually get croup just before a cold or a chest infection or the like which is why some need the antibiotics following croup, the steriod is for the croup to clear the airways.I feel confident that if it happens again I wouldn't be off to A&E only if the steam didn't work fairly quickly and then it wouldn't be in an ambulance........god hope it doesn't happen again.