Nitin Gupta, MD

When my son woke up with a barking cough and a fever, I knew it was croup. Croup is often caused by viral infections resulting in vocal cord swelling. As those cords swell, the airway narrows which results in a barking cough and hoarse, raspy breathing. In severe cases, the child can have labored breathing and rarely, suffocate as the vocal cords swell shut.

Fortunately, I'm a pediatrician and I am able to recognize the signs and symptoms of croup. Because this was mild, I treated my son by calming him down as we cuddled in front of a humidifier. We also gave him some ibuprofen to treat his fever. Ever since my son had a severe case in the past, I've always kept a dose of steroids in the house to help reduce the vocal cord swelling if needed.