Any parents/people familiar with this? My son has had it about 4 times.....The last time was about a year ago - we were in Ca at the time. We took him to the ER but he was fine by the time we got there. It was scary, but I am familiar with it a little. He is 4.5. He woke tonight coughing and saying he couldn't breathe - a bit out of the blue - we got fresh air and I held him close - he eventually calmed. The problem now is that i have a 5 week old in the house - do I keep them seperate? I am a little freaked out - any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks! Laura

Children with croup are most contagious during the first days of fever and illness. Infection spreads easily in a household. Other children in the family will often develop a sore throat or a cough, without necessarily developing the croupy cough and stridor seen in croup. A vaporizer used in the Childs room at night can help prevent it. When the breathing difficulty starts up at night try steaming in the bathroom with the door shut holding your baby sitting w child the steamy room helps calm the choking, gasping. Also a cool evening with fresh cool air flowing seems to do the same soothing as the shower/ steam bathroom. I have been a nanny for many years and have had a few different lterrifying experiences of a child and baby gasping due to croup outbreak at night. It can be so scary, stay calm. Good luck! Heather

Both my children have had croup since they were babies, and still have attacks now (10yrs, and 7yrs old). Take your son to the doctor and ask for the steriod Betnesol, it depends on the weight of your child how many you will have to give him they really help to open up the airway so your son can start to get air. I have a humidifier that i put in there rooms if they have had an attack which makes the air in the room damp. I also take them to the bathroom and steam it, if this does not work i wrap them up warm and take them outside. Croup is NOT contagious, so do not worry about your 5 week old getting it from your son. I know it is very scary when you hear your child gasping for breath, and barking like a dog the main thing is for you to keep calm, and don`t panic.

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Thanks ladies (I think?). I have been doing some reading up - it seems like it may be a chronic thing - perhaps a reaction that comes with allergies. It does seem so closely related to an asthma attack - but it seems the science is undetermined on the exact cause....First time with the two kids and one is sick - I am tired! Didn't get much sleep - but yes, remaining calm - will see doctor soon - good to not worry about the little one. ahhhh....one handed typing . L

My son has had croup since he was 8 months old. He was hospitalised twice and has other attacks which we have managed to stabilise without the need for a hospital stay. He hasn't had an attack now for about 18 months (although he is now 12 and Dr's say that most kids outgrow it by 5 or 6, so I guess he was just a bit unlucky). My 2 daughters have never had croup, you can't catch it. It's just a cold that in some kids can turn to croup. So you can catch the cold but not the croup, if that makes sense! So everytime he catches a cold there is the possiblity that it can turn to croup. We found a steamy atmosphere can help or going outside for a brief "shock" of colder air. Most croup attacks occur in the night and although it looks like asthma it is not. You should ask the doctor for some medication to use if traditional methods of stopping the atttack do not work. We used to have tablets that the Dr. said to use "just before you think you need to take him to the hospital", so not just if you think an attack is coming. Now we have an inhaler for use at the same point. Good luck and hopefully your baby will not suffer from croup too.

Croup can be so scary and 2 of my children had it. My daughter first got it at 5 months old and was in hospital.
One of the doctors told me that when an attack starts and your child starts to cough and "bark" - go into the kitchen and put the kettle on, but don't turn it off. Let the steam fill the room and the coughing will pass. It really made a difference and most inportant is to not panic...

A kettle is not enough. You need to run the hot water taps and shower in the bathroom