Croup

How to recognize it

A barking cough, hoarseness and noisy breathing on inspiration (stridor), most often at night. The typical age is 6 months to 3 years. The cause is usually viral, most often a parainfluenza virus.

What to do at home

• calm the child: crying makes the stridor worse;

• keep the child upright, in a parent's arms;

• an antipyretic if there is fever.

The mainstay of treatment is a single dose of dexamethasone; it is prescribed by a doctor and takes effect over a few hours.

When to call an ambulance

• stridor at rest, not only when the child cries;

• retraction of the chest wall, cyanosis;

• the child is lethargic and drowsy or, conversely, extremely agitated;

• drooling and inability to swallow, the child sits leaning forward — suspect epiglottitis.

Related topics

For a cough without stridor — see Acute cough in children.