Recurrent croup
My 2 year old son in the hospital in November for croup for 4 days. He had stridor with it and for some reason it just wouldn't go away. He was suppose to get breathing treatments every 4 hours but it got to a point where he needed them every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. They started him on an oral steroid but then put it through his IV because it wasn't working fast enough. We had some very scary moments and ended up being transferred to a larger hospital with a pediatric ICU. I was told later that it was probably just a fluke and he wouldn't have it again.
This past Wednesday he woke up with a croupy cough. I called the doctor and they said to watch him but sure enough I ended up in the ER that night because of the stridor again. This time they gave him a steroid shot immediately and started him on the breathing treatments in the ER. We only had to stay one night and day this time but were sent home with 4 different meds, including two breathing treatments along with the nebulizer (thank goodness)! He is doing much better and I haven't heard the stridor since yesterday.
He has three older siblings who are perfectly healthy and have never been in the hospital for more then stitches. He was also the picture of health up until November and now it's only been two months and it hit again. Obviously I know there's no crystal ball that can tell me what the future holds but I was wondering if anyone with experince with this severe croup can tell me how their children did. I've heard that he may have a higher chance of asthma or he may outgrow the croup by the age of 6 or so.
Answers:
Could it be that your child has/had RSV? The RSV virus can cause asthma-type problems later on. A coworker's grandchild got it as an infant and now if he gets a cold he ends up wheezing, etc.
Answers:
Actually he did have RSV when he was only 10 days old. It wasn't severe and the medecine the doctor gave him took care of it just fine. I never thought much of it but looking back it may have been an indication of things to come.
I wanted to add that he wasn't premature and was a healthy 8lbs at birth.
Answers:
Hi. My son who is now 9 years old had croup a couple of times when he was younger.. When he was six, he woke up in the middle of the night and his stridor was so severe, I had to call 911 and he had to be transported by EMS. He was also put on an oral streroid for a few days and the nebulizer at home every 4-6 hours just like your little one. This was the second time he had croup. He hasn't had croup again since then-- and hasn't had any problems with asthma and has been pretty healthy, knock on wood.
This may be a fluke for you that he had two bouts, so close together. Is your little one in daycare or mothers day out? It is my understanding that croup is very contagious.
Answers:
My son is 7.5 years old and he gets croup a couple of times a year. He also has asthma. He has a long historyof ear infections and respiratory infections, i.e. pneumonia. He did have RSV when he was 8 months old and his first croup was at 5 months. I believe he was going to be asthmatic anyway. He just got out of the hospital today from a really bad episode of croup. I rushed him to emerg. He was so bad he wasn't even coughing, he couldn't even talk. He curled up on the floor because he felt like hewas dying. They gave him dexamethasone orally then an adrenaline mask with prednisone. A little while later another adrenaline mask and so on until about 7 hours later he was kind of doing okay. They kept him overnight, again. He is very tired today and coughing a lot. I am hoping he isn't going to get pneumonia again from this, but he spiked a fever after he returned home. Croup is not contagious in itself. It is your sons reaction to what would be a "normal" respiratory virus to any other child. Another child can get a cold and be find, but with your child it going right to his wind pipe. Same with RSV. People walk around with rsv all the time, but if you are prone to respiratory problems, you may have problems with this virus. You have to be very careful around other children especially during the winter. My son gets it mostly in the winter, but we have also had it in the summer. I don't want to scare you, but they told me he would grow out of it and then today the doctor told me not to expect him to grow out of it any time soon, and to move closer to the hospital. If you need to talk, you can write me at [email]chicken@direct.ca[/email]
Michelle
This past Wednesday he woke up with a croupy cough. I called the doctor and they said to watch him but sure enough I ended up in the ER that night because of the stridor again. This time they gave him a steroid shot immediately and started him on the breathing treatments in the ER. We only had to stay one night and day this time but were sent home with 4 different meds, including two breathing treatments along with the nebulizer (thank goodness)! He is doing much better and I haven't heard the stridor since yesterday.
He has three older siblings who are perfectly healthy and have never been in the hospital for more then stitches. He was also the picture of health up until November and now it's only been two months and it hit again. Obviously I know there's no crystal ball that can tell me what the future holds but I was wondering if anyone with experince with this severe croup can tell me how their children did. I've heard that he may have a higher chance of asthma or he may outgrow the croup by the age of 6 or so.
Answers:
Could it be that your child has/had RSV? The RSV virus can cause asthma-type problems later on. A coworker's grandchild got it as an infant and now if he gets a cold he ends up wheezing, etc.
Answers:
Actually he did have RSV when he was only 10 days old. It wasn't severe and the medecine the doctor gave him took care of it just fine. I never thought much of it but looking back it may have been an indication of things to come.
I wanted to add that he wasn't premature and was a healthy 8lbs at birth.
Answers:
Hi. My son who is now 9 years old had croup a couple of times when he was younger.. When he was six, he woke up in the middle of the night and his stridor was so severe, I had to call 911 and he had to be transported by EMS. He was also put on an oral streroid for a few days and the nebulizer at home every 4-6 hours just like your little one. This was the second time he had croup. He hasn't had croup again since then-- and hasn't had any problems with asthma and has been pretty healthy, knock on wood.
This may be a fluke for you that he had two bouts, so close together. Is your little one in daycare or mothers day out? It is my understanding that croup is very contagious.
Answers:
My son is 7.5 years old and he gets croup a couple of times a year. He also has asthma. He has a long historyof ear infections and respiratory infections, i.e. pneumonia. He did have RSV when he was 8 months old and his first croup was at 5 months. I believe he was going to be asthmatic anyway. He just got out of the hospital today from a really bad episode of croup. I rushed him to emerg. He was so bad he wasn't even coughing, he couldn't even talk. He curled up on the floor because he felt like hewas dying. They gave him dexamethasone orally then an adrenaline mask with prednisone. A little while later another adrenaline mask and so on until about 7 hours later he was kind of doing okay. They kept him overnight, again. He is very tired today and coughing a lot. I am hoping he isn't going to get pneumonia again from this, but he spiked a fever after he returned home. Croup is not contagious in itself. It is your sons reaction to what would be a "normal" respiratory virus to any other child. Another child can get a cold and be find, but with your child it going right to his wind pipe. Same with RSV. People walk around with rsv all the time, but if you are prone to respiratory problems, you may have problems with this virus. You have to be very careful around other children especially during the winter. My son gets it mostly in the winter, but we have also had it in the summer. I don't want to scare you, but they told me he would grow out of it and then today the doctor told me not to expect him to grow out of it any time soon, and to move closer to the hospital. If you need to talk, you can write me at [email]chicken@direct.ca[/email]
Michelle