Overview
Croup is a common childhood respiratory illness in which a viral infection causes swelling around the voice box and windpipe. This narrowing produces a distinctive barking cough and a harsh sound when breathing in. Most cases are mild and settle within a few days, but breathing can occasionally become difficult and needs urgent attention.
Symptoms
- Barking, seal-like cough
- Hoarse voice
- Harsh, noisy breathing in (stridor)
- Worse symptoms at night
- Mild fever and cold-like symptoms
- Difficulty breathing in more severe cases
Causes & risk factors
- Viral infections, most often parainfluenza viruses
- Other respiratory viruses such as RSV, influenza or adenovirus
- Spread through coughs, sneezes and contaminated surfaces
Treatment & self-care
Most children recover at home with comfort measures and calm, upright positioning under a caregiver's watch. A clinician should assess any child with significant breathing difficulty and may give medicines to reduce airway swelling; do not give untested home remedies for breathing trouble.
See a doctor urgently if
- Get emergency care now if your child struggles to breathe, makes noisy breathing while resting, turns blue or pale, drools or cannot swallow, or seems unusually drowsy
- See a clinician if symptoms are severe, do not improve, or your child is under 6 months old
This condition can be an emergency. If any of the signs above are severe or getting worse, go to the nearest emergency room now or call your local emergency number — do not wait for an online consultation.