Croup is usually a viral infection that causes swelling around the voice box and windpipe. It mainly affects young children and often becomes worse at night.
Symptoms
- A barking cough that may sound like a seal
- A hoarse voice
- A high pitched rasping sound when breathing in, called stridor
- Cold symptoms and sometimes a temperature
When to Get Emergency Help
Call your local emergency number if the child is struggling to breathe, has stridor while resting, is unusually sleepy or difficult to wake, has blue or grey lips, is drooling and unable to swallow, or has pauses in breathing. Keep the child upright and calm while waiting for help.
Home Care and Medical Advice
Keep the child calm because distress can worsen breathing. Offer fluids and check regularly, including during the night. Do not use steam or place the child in a steamy room because it has not been shown to help and can cause burns. Do not give cough medicine.
Contact a healthcare service promptly if you think a child has croup, especially if the child is very young, symptoms are worsening or there is noisy breathing. A clinician may give a corticosteroid medicine to reduce airway swelling. More severe croup needs hospital treatment.
How It Spreads
The viruses that cause croup spread through respiratory droplets and contaminated hands or surfaces. Regular handwashing, covering coughs and keeping an unwell child away from close contact can reduce spread.
Sources
Reviewed 28 August 2026.