Croup at home: caring for your child

Croup is inflammation around the voice box and upper windpipe, often during a viral illness. It can produce a barking cough, hoarseness and a high-pitched sound when breathing in. Symptoms may change quickly when a child becomes upset, so watching the child rather than judging the cough alone is useful. A common cold may occur alongside croup, but not every noisy cough is croup.

Hold your child upright or let them sit in a comfortable position. Speak quietly and avoid unnecessary distress. Offer small, frequent drinks; do not force food. Keep the room free from smoke and strong fragrances. Check breathing, colour, alertness and drinking regularly, including after the child settles. Avoid steam because it can burn, and avoid medicines that have not been recommended for your child's age. A child-health consultation can clarify whether treatment is needed.

Call for urgent help if breathing is laboured, the neck or ribs pull in, noisy breathing occurs while the child is resting, swallowing is difficult, lips look blue or grey, or the child is floppy or hard to wake. Seek prompt advice if symptoms keep returning, drinking falls, urine becomes much less frequent, or the cough and breathing are getting worse. Trust a clear change in your child's behaviour as a reason to seek assessment.

Ask how severe the episode appears, which signs should prompt urgent care, and whether your child needs a review or prescribed treatment. Explain what the breathing sounds like at rest, how much the child is drinking, and whether symptoms improve when calm.