What can i do when my baby with croup coughs so hard she has trouble breathing?

He should be seen : Croup is a viral illness that causes swelling in the baby's upper airway- near your baby's larynx (voicebox). Your baby may be hoarse. When it is severe, the swelling may block off airflow into your baby's lungs and cause problems with getting oxygen into the body. This can become a life-threatening senario in the youngest infants. Best to call your doctor, or if breathing is severe, go to the er.

Vapor and more vapor: Croup is a common illness in young children. It is caused by one of several respiratory viruses and can affect any susceptible child throughout the year. It often presents as a harsh, barking cough due to the relative small size of an infant or child's airway. There is no specific medicine but humidified air such as the steam off a hot shower or table-top humidfier is usually sufficient.

Go to the ER: With any scenario that includes difficulty breathing, the child needs to go to the er immediately.

Steam or cold air: Croup can be scary - it is worse at night when normal body hormones that suppress inflammation go down. When a baby gets that barky cough and develops difficulty breathing, taking the baby into a steamy bathroom with the shower running may help. Also, going outside into cold air can also help. If you are still worried, call your pediatrician!

Consult dr if severe: Croup is usually mild illness managed at home. Help with cool m​ist, placing child near vaporizerI if you do not have a cool mist vaporizer, even a simple humidifier in child’s bedroom may be helpful. Seek ER if cool mist not clearing up stridor in 15 minutes, repeated episodes of stridor or trouble breathing child’s chest or stomach retracting, bluish lips,lethargy,drooling,neck pain,stiffness