Dr. Chheda – If your child wakes up after a nap or in the middle of the night and they have a barky cough – it’s a really dry cough and it really does sound like a dog barking – that could be a sign of croup. Croup is very normal, very common in kids under the age of six. But those kids under the age of two, we really worry about because that cough indicates that their airway is actually closing up and they’re having a hard time breathing. And we don’t want that airway to close up where they stop breathing.

What are some things that you can do, especially in the middle of the night? Anything to help your child relax, relax those muscles, keep them calm. Make sure they’re well hydrated. You can open up the freezer, open up the freezer and have them breathe in that cold air. It’s the equivalent of putting ice on something that’s swollen. They need that cold, cold air to breathe in to be able to decrease the swelling that’s going on in their airway, and that can help.

And if they’re under the age of 2, please either call 911, call your pediatrician, but get help.