Croup

Key points about croup

• croup is a viral illness in young tamariki
• croup causes narrowing of the upper airways
• croup symptoms are often worse at night or when your child is upset
• croup is often a mild illness but can quickly become serious
• if you are worried, see a health professional

What is croup?

Croup is a viral illness in young tamariki, which causes narrowing of the upper airways. 

How does croup develop?

In croup, a viral infection causes inflammation, swelling and narrowing of the vocal cords, voice box and windpipe. This can make breathing more difficult. You may also hear a type of noisy breathing called stridor. 

What are the signs and symptoms of croup?

Tamariki with croup may have:

• a barking cough
• a type of noisy breathing called stridor
• a hoarse voice
• trouble breathing

The symptoms of croup can get worse at night or when your child is upset.

Before the cough and breathing trouble develop, your child may have other symptoms such as:

• a sore throat
• a fever
• red eyes
• a runny nose
• being off food

Check out the signs that your child is struggling to breathe

How can I care for my child with croup?

If you think your child has croup, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or see a health professional.

See a health professional

A health professional may prescribe a steroid medicine for croup. This reduces the swelling in your child's airway and helps them to breathe more easily. It doesn't change the cough but does reduce the stridor. Steroids work for about 48 hours.

Antibiotics do not help tamariki with croup because it's caused by a virus.

Calm and comfort your child

If your child has croup, try to keep them calm and comfort them. Distress can make it harder for them to breathe and make the stridor worse.

Help with a sore throat or fever

You can give paracetamol if your child is miserable with a fever or has a sore throat. You must follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. It is dangerous to give more than the recommended dose.

Your child may prefer cool sips of fluid which can be soothing for a sore throat.

Don't use steam

Adding steam to the air used to be recommended but there is no evidence it actually helps. There have been several cases reported where tamariki have been badly burned from the hot water. For these reasons, health professionals don't recommend using steam for croup.

How long will my child's croup symptoms last?

Stridor may last for a few days. The cough may last for up to a week or so.  

When do I need to take my child with croup to a health professional urgently?

Take your child to a health professional or the nearest hospital straight away if they:

• have stridor
• have trouble breathing
• are upset and you can't calm them
• you are worried for any other reason

Check out the signs that your child is struggling to breathe

When should I call 111?

Call 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help if your child has any of the following:

• is blue around the mouth
• is struggling to breathe
• is hard to wake
• is floppy
• is drooling

Could there be another reason for my child's croup-like symptoms?

In pēpi (babies) less than 6 months of age, or in tamariki older than 6 years, croup is less common. There could be another reason for their symptoms. See a health professional for a check up. 

Make sure your child is up to date with all their immunisations. 

What happens if my child gets croup again?

It's very uncommon for tamariki to have croup more than once a year. See a health professional if your child has repeated episodes of stridor or barking cough.