What should you know about mild croup treatment?

Croup causes swelling around the upper airway, so treatment depends on the child's breathing, alertness and ability to drink. A clinician may recommend a medicine to reduce airway swelling when symptoms warrant it. More severe breathing problems may need urgent assessment and inhaled treatment delivered through a nebuliser. Antibiotics do not treat the usual viral cause of croup unless another infection is diagnosed.

Keep the child calm and sitting upright, offer small drinks frequently, and check them regularly. Give only medicines recommended for that child and follow the label or clinician's directions. Avoid steam, hot vapour, smoke and forceful examination of the throat. Keep a child health consultation available if symptoms are new, recurrent or difficult to judge. Note whether noisy breathing occurs while resting or only when crying.

Seek urgent help if noisy breathing continues while the child is resting, the chest or neck pulls in, drinking becomes difficult, drooling occurs, lips look blue or grey, breathing pauses, or the child becomes exhausted or hard to wake. Contact a clinician promptly if symptoms worsen, fever persists, or fluids are not staying down. Treatment decisions should be based on breathing and general condition, not the loudness of the cough alone.

Does my child need medicine to reduce airway swelling? What should we do if symptoms return overnight? When would nebuliser treatment or emergency assessment be considered?