When Croup Attacks

Arabella first got croup when she was about 18 months old. After that, she got it constantly - every other month if not every month. Any parent who has heard that signature "barking" cough and noisy intake of breath knows the panic that comes with it...not only for the parent, but often for the child as well. It's a terrifying thing, thinking your child can't breathe!!

{my poor little sickie, 2010}

For the first 6 months she was getting it, I would immediately take her to the pediatrician, who would immediately prescribe steroids. I hated the thought of her being on steroids, but hated the thought of her throat closing up even more! Her doctor scared me further by telling me that her throat COULD and possibly WOULD close and she would be unable to breathe. I have since learned that this is, in fact, rare, and that croup can be managed effectively** without the use of steroids. I could kick myself for not looking into natural remedies sooner!

(Side note on steroids: they depress the immune system, making another infection even harder to fight off.. which will cause you to need even more steroids and possibly antibiotics.. and the vicious cycle continues!)

Finally I wised up and went to the health food store and asked one of the wise ladies in the supplement section what I could do for her croup. She made a beeline for the homeopathic section and handed me a vial of Spongia Tosta . It worked like a charm! No more steroids!! Hooray!

Since that day we have not used steroids AT ALL. Arabella does still get croup, but it is far less often, and when I hear the first telltale sign, I immediately give her the Spongia Tosta and it is gone within 1-2 days max.

Other things that help a croup attack (which usually occur in the middle of the night or early morning)

- A hot steamy bathroom. Turn the shower on the hottest setting and make it a sauna in there. Hold child on your lap or stand and rock them, anything that soothes them. I would always breastfeed Arabella while we were sitting in there. She would usually stop crying and fall back to sleep within minutes.
- Take child outside into cold or open the freezer and have them breathe in cold air. I am not sure why both hot and cold work on croup, but they do. The doctor told me once that sometimes parents will panic and get in the car to go to the ER.. but because of the cold air, the babe is usually fine again by the time they get there.
- Aconite is another homeopathic remedy that can be used.
- Native Remedies has a combo homeopathic remedy called CroupEx Spinkles. This has worked well for us too.
- Keep child calm however possible. If nursing, feed him/her. Walk, rock, hold, do whatever you can to prevent crying. Croupy babies are often very irritable and need lots of extra love and attention.

So next time croup attacks, try homeopathy! I bet it will work just as well for you as it has for us!

**This is my personal experience and should not be taken as professional medical advice. I am NOT a doctor. You should follow your own intuition and/or see a doctor when you have a sick baby. If your baby is not breathing or shows signs of oxygen deprivation, seek medical attention immediately.