Croupe(sp)

It is caused by a virus, not allergies. I would worry more about why her immune system isn't working hard enough to keep her from getting this repeatedly. Give her another year or so, and this shouldn't be a problem. The virus presents itself as croup in young children, but as they get older, and for any adult that gets it, it will just present as a cold.

My daughter is 5 and has been getting it for the past 2 years. She has had to go to the ER 2 different times for it. For alot of kids, once they get it the first time then they continue getting it. My doc said they usually outgrow it around 5 or 6 years. My DD has only had it once in the past six months so I hope she is getting away from it. Last winter she got it 3 times in two months! There is not a particular thing that triggers it for her. Every time she went to the ER they gave her a breathing trmt and oral steroids. I was able to get my Pedi to wrote us an order for a nebulizer and that has been a great help. It prevents the croup from getting so bad that we have to go to the ER. It helps to neutralize it as soon as we see signs. The best home remedy is to run the shower with hot water and set in the bathroom with her for 10 minutes and let her breath the steam then take her out in the cold air for 10 minutes. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times and that usually works. I have not heard croup being related to allergies but I really dont know. Good luck

Definitely talk to the nurse at your pediatrician's office. My son had it O. time (on my mom's clock--thank God, because I'm a medical situation spazzoid) and some moist air did the trick, but I had a child that I was babysitting start after his bedtime and the mom took him to the doc the following day and he was given an antibiotic. From what I've heard, it can be viral or bacterial.

Only an allergist could answer this particular question for you.
Is there a mold issue at your MILs? That could be another problem.

It's sometimes the case that children who contract croup have recurring bouts of it. My brother had it when he was little, and had recurring episodes up until he was 5 or 6 or so. He did grow out of it, by the way. Healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies and a good multivitamin can help, esp. if the vitamin has herbs to boost immune responses. Low-sugar diet will help your child to be more resilient, too. Sugar feeds any viruses or bacteria that are present and only makes them stronger, yet it is more difficult and work for the body to process. So strictly limiting sugary foods/junk foods/empty carbs (which are also sugars) can help.

Take her to an asthma/allergy doctor to get her checked out. It could be both asthma and allergies.

I'm dealing with croup right now too. I read it is 1) viral (starts with a cold and progresses) or 2) allergies (like pollen and such). But it also has to do with little vocal cords/trachea/wind pipe. When catching a cold or allergy reaction, the wind pipe gets swollen and then you get the cough. You don't' get it in bigger kids b/c their windpipe has grown and when swollen it doesn't effect it the same way in a little one.

My advice nurse also said it could have to do with the weather. Out here in my area of CA we have has super cold and foggy weather one week, then gloriously sunny and warm, then back to cold, then warm again. She said the croup cases are up right now and believes the weather pattern has something to do with it. Maybe its been like that in Davenport??

Good luck! I'm right there with you!

I would ask for a referral to a specialist. Croup is generally caused by the parainfluenza virus, which is very common this time of year. In kids and adults not physiologically prone to croup it just causes a cold. However, such frequent croup can also be a sign of asthma and/or allergies. My son used to get croup once a month at that age and was ultimately diagnosed with asthma. Life got much easier once we started seeing a pediatric pulmonologist and an allergist and got things under control. So, it could be she's just prone to the virus and croup or it could be something more, but only a specialist will probably know for sure. Most kids outgrow croup and the croupy cough by age 7 at the latest. Unfortunately for my son it went on to age 9, but with much less frequency as he got older. Good luck!

My daughter gets croup every time she gets a cold - one thing we do to keep it from getting bad is to run a cold air humidifier right over her bed every night - we use it all year round, although on a lower setting in the summer. When she does get a cold, we use Vicks Vaporub on her feet, covered with thick socks, at bedtime every night. it reduces the coughing and congestion. (if they don't like the feeling or won't wear socks to bed - we sometimes put it on after she's asleep - but it does make it easier to fall asleep if you can do it beforehand.) Our doctor has told us that she just needs to outgrow it and that we are doing everything we can to keep her comfortable and to keep the croup from getting bad.