CroupSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Croup
Croup is due to an infection of the upper airways that causes breathing difficulty and a barking cough. The cough of croup results from swelling around the vocal cords. It is common in infants and children.
Viral croup; Laryngotracheobronchitis; Spasmodic croup; Barking cough; Laryngotracheitis
Croup affects children ages 3 months to 5 years. It can occur at any age. Some children are more likely to get croup and may get it several times. It is most common between October and April, but can occur at any time of the year.
Croup is most often caused by viruses such as:
- Parainfluenza
- Influenza
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Measles
- Adenovirus
More severe cases of croup may be caused by bacteria. This condition is called bacterial tracheitis.
A type of croup called spasmodic croup may also be caused by:
- Allergies
- Breathing in something that irritates the airway
- Acid reflux
This type of croup comes on suddenly and does not cause a fever. Treating the cause will often relieve the croup symptoms.
The main symptom of croup is a cough that sounds like a seal barking.
Most children will have a mild cold and a low grade fever for several days before having a barking cough and a hoarse voice. As the cough gets more frequent, the child may have trouble breathing or stridor (a harsh, crowing noise made when breathing in).
Croup is typically much worse at night. It most often lasts up to 3 nights but may last up to 7 nights. The first night or two are most often the worst. Rarely, croup can last for weeks. Talk to your child's health care provider if croup lasts longer than a week or comes back often.
Most cases of croup can be safely managed at home with telephone support from your provider. However, if you are worried about your child's symptoms, you should contact your provider for advice, even in the middle of the night.
Steps you can take at home include:
- Make your child more comfortable by giving acetaminophen. This medicine also lowers a fever so your child will not have to breathe as hard. Ibuprofen can be used for fever in children older than 6 months.
- Avoid cough medicines, which won't help and may be harmful.
- Expose your child to cool or warm moist air, such as in a steamy bathroom or cool night air. This may help your child feel better, but no studies show that it helps reduce symptoms.
Your provider may prescribe medicines, such as:
- Epinephrine given with a nebulizer
- Steroid medicines taken by mouth or through an inhaler
- Antibiotic medicine
Your child may need to be treated in the emergency room or to stay in the hospital if they:
- Have breathing problems that do not go away or get worse
- Become too tired because of breathing problems
- Have bluish skin color of the lips, mouth, or fingernails (cyanosis)
- Are not drinking enough fluids
Medicines and treatments used at the hospital may include:
- Epinephrine given with a nebulizer
- Steroid medicines, inhaled, taken orally, or given through a vein (intravenous or IV)
- Oxygen given in a tent over a crib or through a mask or a tube near the nose
- IV fluids for dehydration
- Antibiotics (rarely)
Rarely, a breathing tube through the nose or mouth will be needed to help your child breathe.
Kelly Bergmann is a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Bergmann is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Croup. He is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Croup, Intussusception in Children, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), and Genetic Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures Plus (GEFS+). Dr. Bergmann is board certified in Pediatrics, 2013, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and American Board Of Pediatrics,2017. Dr. Bergmann is currently accepting new patients.
Baylor College Of Medicine - Otolaryngology
Julina Ongkasuwan is an Otolaryngologist practicing medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ongkasuwan is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Croup. She is also highly rated in 14 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Laryngitis, Croup, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Endoscopy, and Laryngectomy. Dr. Ongkasuwan is currently accepting new patients.
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Amy Tyler is a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Tyler is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Croup. She is also highly rated in 1 other condition, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Croup. Dr. Tyler is currently accepting new patients.
Croup is most often mild, but it can still be dangerous. It most often goes away in 3 to 7 days.
In some cases of croup that do not require emergency care, a short course of oral steroids may be useful to reduce swelling and improve symptoms.
The tissue that covers the trachea (windpipe) is called the epiglottis. If the epiglottis becomes infected, the entire windpipe can swell shut. This is a life-threatening condition called epiglottitis.
If an airway blockage is not treated promptly, the child can have severe trouble breathing or breathing may stop completely.
Contact your provider if your child is not responding to home treatment or is acting more irritable.
Call 911 or the local emergency number right away if:
- Croup symptoms may have been caused by an insect sting or inhaled object.
- Your child has bluish lips or skin color (cyanosis).
- Your child is drooling.
- Your child is having trouble swallowing.
- There is stridor (a noise when breathing in) that is getting worse or that occurs at rest.
- There is a tugging-in of the muscles between the ribs when breathing in.
- Your child is struggling to breathe.
Some of the steps to be taken to prevent infection are:
- Wash your hands frequently and avoid close contact with people who have a respiratory infection.
- Timely immunizations with the diphtheria, influenza (Hib), and measles vaccines protect children from some of the most dangerous forms of croup.
Summary: TB is the single biggest infectious cause of death (1.5 million died in 2018), killing more HIV-positive people than any other disease, and is arguably the most important poverty-related disease in the world. TB's estimated incidence in Africa has been declining over recent years but progress is slow and plateauing. To avert stagnation, truly innovative and ambitious technologies are needed, espec...
Summary: The overall aim of the study is to develop a nutritional preventive vitamin D supplementation strategy in pregnancy for early childhood asthma/persistent wheeze during the first three years of life as we hypothesize that supplementation in higher doses than recommended could reduce the risk of disease development.
Published Date: January 01, 2026
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Regional Medical Director of Penn Medicine Primary and Specialty Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 06/27/2026.
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