Health Library

Croup - discharge

Viral croup - discharge; Laryngotracheobronchitis - discharge; Spasmodic croup - discharge; Barking cough - discharge; Laryngotracheitis - discharge

Croup is due to an infection of the upper airways that causes a barking cough and hoarseness. In some cases, it may also cause breathing difficulty and high-pitched breath sounds called stridor. Most children with croup get better on their own. Some need to visit an emergency room and may need to be admitted to a hospital.

After your child goes home from the hospital, follow the care instructions given by your child's health care provider. Use the information below as a reminder.

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When You're in the Hospital

In the hospital, the provider will help your child breathe better using different treatments. These may include:

• Epinephrine given with a nebulizer
• Steroid medicines, inhaled, taken orally, or given through a vein (intravenous, or IV)
• Oxygen given in a tent over a crib or through a mask or a tube near the nose
• IV fluids for dehydration
• Antibiotics (rarely)

Rarely, a breathing tube through the nose or mouth will be needed to help your child breathe.

Once your child starts breathing comfortably and your provider thinks it is safe, you will be able to take your child home. It may take a few hours in an emergency room before your child can safely be discharged. Sometimes an overnight stay in the hospital may be needed.

What to Expect at Home

Croup symptoms usually last for up to 3 days but may continue up to 7 days.

Your child may continue to have these symptoms after leaving the hospital:

• Barking cough, especially during the night, but no breathing discomfort
• Hoarseness
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Restlessness

Home Care

Follow the care instructions given by the provider before discharge, including the use of any medicines.

Steps you can take at home to manage symptoms and help your child feel more comfortable include:

• Keep your child upright to help make breathing easier. If your child is older than 1 year, you may use an extra pillow to prop up your child's head while sleeping.
• You may give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen (for children older than 6 months) to lower a fever.
• Given plenty of warm fluids to soothe the throat and prevent dehydration.
• Try to keep your child as calm as possible. Crying can worsen symptoms and may cause breathing distress.
• Avoid cough medicines, which won't help and may be harmful.

Some parents expose children to moist, cool night air or warm moist air to provide breathing relief. While this may help make your child feel better, no studies show that it helps reduce symptoms.

When to Call the Doctor

Contact your provider if your child is not responding to home treatment or is acting more irritable.

Call 911 or the local emergency number if your child has any of these symptoms:

• Trouble breathing
• Rapid shallow breathing
• Stridor, a high-pitched sound with each breath, that gets worse or occurs at rest
• The muscles between the ribs pull inward when your child breathes
• Bluish color lips, face, or fingernails (cyanosis)
• Drooling or trouble swallowing
• Extreme drowsiness
• Decreased consciousness

References

American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website. Croup in young children. www.healthychildren.org/english/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/pages/croup-treatment.aspx. Updated May 10, 2024. Accessed June 24, 2026.

Chi DH, Tobey A. Otolaryngology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis’ Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 24.

Rodrigues KK, Roosevelt GE. Acute inflammatory upper airway obstruction (croup, epiglottitis, laryngitis, and bacterial tracheitis). In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 433.

Elluru R, Patel A. Pediatric infectious disease. In: Francis HW, Haughey BH, Hillel AT, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 192.

Review Date: 5/3/2026  

Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Editorial update 06/29/2026.

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