Hello Mamas,
My sweet baby girl had pink eye last week (cleared up in a day with the drops) and over the weekend developed a horrible nasty cough. It is one of the worst sounds I have ever heard! She otherwise is breathing fine but the last couple nights the cough has been waking her up and I just know she is miserable! The doctor said her lungs sound clear but gave us prednisone drops to give her twice a day. Has anyone's LOs had croup at this young of an age? At first I was happy to have _something_ to give her to help her feel better, but now I'm kind of worried about giving it to her. I have had asthma since I was a kid and have taken prednisone plenty of times without any noticeable side effects.... what do you all think?
My daughter had croup at a much younger age. She was only 2 months. It was a barky seal sounding cough. She had to get a shot to open up her air ways. To help aleviate her breathing you can take her into a steamy bathroom. The mist helps.
My middle daughter had TERRIBLE recurring croup, meaning, it came back every winter. It was awful. She got to the point where she would walk over to her nebulizer and bring it to me. The first time she had it she was a few months old; she's almost 5 and last winter was the first winter it DIDN'T come back. Give meds as her doc instructed, but in a pinch, when she gets a really bad croup cough, stick her face in the freezer. Something about the cold air really, REALLY (and instantly) helps. Hope she feels better!
It is a horrible sound! My son has had croup 3x and he's 2 and was in the NICU w/ lung issues at birth - so I feel your pain!!! What I've learned... although the cough is terrible sounding, that's not the bad part. The breathing issues if the airway swells and begins to close are the concern - and the stridor - struggling to breathe that go with it. Steroids are usually given to help with the breating issues. The cough can last for a while and is worst at night. Keep her hydrated and use a humidifier in her room to keep the air moist. Glad to hear her breathing is good!!! Hang in there.
Follow your doctor's directions. My children have both had croup and my youngest has asthma. He had a terrible case of RSV when he was six months old that lingered for months (ending in his asthma diagnoses). To make her comfortable run the shower as hot as you can for a few minutes to steam up the bathroom and then stay in there with her with it running for at least 20. I bring in a few books with my kids, snuggle them, and draw on the steam in the mirror (or nurse her if she is breastfeeding--it will help her to feel safe and let her relax and breathe in the steam). Prop the front legs of her crib up a few inches to help her breathe better, too.
My daughter had the croup at 8 mos old as well. I know... it's so scary and the sound of their cough is terrible! The doctor prescribed her a steroid, not sure of the name, and she was so much better in a few days. I was so nervous giving it to her as well, but I felt that she needed something to help with the cough. Needless to say, I gave her the medicine and she was back to her normal self. Don't worry... It will get better soon. Good Luck
I totally understand my now 6 month old had gotten croup and we ended up at children's ER. Giving her the meds is your choice I have noticed with my boys on prednisone they become very silly do silly things. Good luck
My oldest son now 13 (has mild asthma) suffered horribly from reoccurrent croup. He was a little older than your daughter, but it is pretty common for babies her age to get croup. Follow the instructions of the other posters to do either the steamy shower in the bathroom treatment or the cool night air. Being elevated in a car seat helps too. Also, stick with the prednisone. She shouldn't have any long term side effects from getting the medication for a short period of time. They call it a "burst." It might make her excitable or make it difficult to sleep in the short term, but that will go away when the meds are gone. Good luck! I know it's horrible and scary.
Croup is terrifying and can be deadly. When I was little, my best friend died from croup at 4 years old, so I take is very seriously. Immediate relief can usually be had by taking the child in a car ride in the cold weather or getting into the bathroom and steaming it up with the shower. The best bet, however, is utilizing a nebulizer with the steroid treatment and then the albuterol treatment. The albuterol opens the airway quickly and the steroid offers long-term reduction of swelling.
I would absolutely use the meds.
Best of luck!
My daughter gets croup with just about every cold. We use a humidifier abover her bed every night when she's sick. It really helps calm the cough. If you do the steamy shower thing mentioned earlier right before bed (or even just a steamy bath) it will help calm the cough so they can fall asleep quicker.
Good luck.
