Croup

• Keep the child at home if the cough is severe to help prevent the virus from spreading.

To make breathing easier

• Stay calm and reassure the child. Symptoms may worsen when the child cries or becomes agitated.
• Keep the room cool.
• If it is cool or cold outside, dress the child warmly and take them outside for 5 to 10 minutes.
• If it is warm outside, dress the child warmly and stay with them near a source of cool air, such as an open freezer, for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Keep the air in the home clean and slightly humid, at 30% to 50% humidity.
• Keep the child sitting upright or in a semi-upright position.
• Slightly raise the head of the mattress, for example by placing a pillow underneath it.
• Avoid clothing that is tight around the neck, chest, or waist.

To stay hydrated and well-nourished

• Offer plenty of water unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise.
• Offer warm fluids, such as broth.
• Offer several small meals, even when the child’s appetite is reduced.

To relieve other symptoms

• If needed, see the following health advice sheets:
  • Fever
  • Sore Throat
  • Cough
  • Nasal Congestion
• To relieve pain or fever, give acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). When in doubt, ask a pharmacist for advice.

Important: Ibuprofen is contraindicated for children under 6 months of age.

How to rinse the nose

• Use a saline solution purchased at a pharmacy, or make one at home by mixing:
  • 240 mL (1 cup or approximately 8 oz.) of drinking water or boiled water that has been allowed to cool
  • 2.5 mL (½ tsp.) of salt
• Use a sinus rinse bottle:
  • 118 mL (4 oz.) for children
  • 237 mL (8 oz.) for adolescents and adults
• Wash your hands before and after rinsing the child’s nose.
• Lean over the sink and keep your mouth open while rinsing.
• Gently squeeze the saline solution into one nostril until it drains out through the other.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Blow your nose afterward, if needed.
• Wash the bottle after each use. Replace it every 3 months or sooner if it becomes discoloured.

How to rinse a baby or young child’s nose

• Rinse the nose about 4 times a day, or more often as needed.
• Use a nasal aspirator as needed to remove mucus.
• Wash your hands before and after rinsing the child’s nose.
• Fill an irrigation syringe with 1 to 3 mL of saline solution.
• For babies under 6 months:
  • Swaddle the baby and lay them on their side.
  • Using the syringe, gently insert the saline solution into the upper nostril. Mucus should drain through the lower nostril, both nostrils, or the mouth.
  • Turn the baby onto the other side and repeat for the other nostril.
• For children over 6 months:
  • Sit the child on an adult’s lap and keep their head upright.
  • Wrap the child in a large towel to keep them dry and help limit movement.
  • Hold the child’s chin with one hand. Lean the child slightly forward and gently rinse one nostril with the other hand.
  • Mucus may drain through one nostril, both nostrils, or the mouth.
  • Repeat for the other nostril.