DS developed a croupy cough last night after we got to my mom's house. He wasn't actually coughing much but he was having a hard time breathing during the night. Does anyone have any suggestions on what todo for him if he is bad again tonight? He isn't coughing much today butwhen he does it is barky. I'm a little worried about tonight. *sigh* The only echinacea my mom has has slipery elm in it. Is this okay to take while nursing?

THE RESPONSES:

• Slippery Elm should be fine for you to take.

  The absolute best treatment for croup I can recommed is to sit in a steamy bathroom.When the "barky-cough" comes on.Get your son up,run the shower,bath AND sink all on *hot*.Sit on the loo!(if the toliet is in the bathroom)& nurse.I have found this the BEST way to open the airways(croup is an viral infection/spasm of the upper airway)& soothe the cough & allow your little one to breathe more easily.

  It is always worse at nights,but really in most children is quite a mild illness.I know it sounds awful though.(((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))).

  • I agree. Also, if you can get herbs mullein and black elderberry have worked MAGIC here.

    Oh, and don't freak if your son vomits. DD (15mo) has vomited frequently during coughing spells.

• Steam was always my mother's remedy...We were really "chesty" children and often had croup, bronchitis, chest infections of various kinds. Nursing in the bathroom is a great suggestion.

  If it persists and he turns out to be prone to it, you could also try getting a vaporiser. We have had one for years and it's the best $30 ($15 to you ) we've spent. DS was also prone to lots of chesty stuff and it ran in his room often. He had a whole string of bronchial/chest problems and our family dr prescribed endless rounds of antibiotics until I finally pulled the pin and realised how much damage I was doing with them. We took him to see our very cool paediatrician who diagnosed mild asthma which only needed treating when it was worrying him, suggested using the humidifier and a cough syrup if we wanted to. We never bothered with the cough syrup but the humidifier helped more than the drugs ever had.

  As he gets older, another great way to get steam into their lungs is to fill a basin with hot water and add an infusion of pine or spruce or eucalyptus oil or the like. Make a tent over the basin with a towel and *carefully* hold the child inside the tent for as long as they can stand it. Have a breather and repeat until the water's cold. From a safety aspect, this is obviously only suitable for children who can grasp what they need to do, but it is a very effective way of getting the steam into lungs

  My mother is still very prone to bronchitis and croup at 70 and every time she feels the first sign of an attack coming one, she starts steaming every couple of hours and ups her Vitamin C intake. It works extremely well for her (and this is someone who has regularly been hospitalised in the past).