Croup
Alternate Names : Acute Laryngotracheobronchitis
What can be done to prevent the infection?
Croup is difficult to prevent. The viruses that cause it are common, especially
in the winter months. Most young children are not immune to these viruses, and
effective vaccines to them are not currently available. One exception is the
vaccine for the influenza virus, which accounts for only a small percentage of
croup cases.
There are a few things that can be done to help prevent croup.
Breast-feeding provides some protection to infants against these common
infections. This is probably through the transmission of maternal antibodies in
the breast milk.
Also, avoiding tobacco smoke
may lessen the risk of infants and young children getting respiratory
infections.
Children in day care or preschool have greater exposure to these
viruses.
There is no solid evidence that multiple or large doses of vitamins
prevent respiratory virus infections.
What are the long-term effects of the infection?
Croup usually is a short-term illness without long-term effects. For some
children it can be a recurrent illness. Sometimes, a child with severe croup
needs to have a
breathing tube inserted, which is known as endotracheal intubation. Occasionally, the
healthcare provider may need to cut a hole in the trachea below the voice box
to insert a tube for breathing, called a tracheostomy. This may lead to scarring of the trachea or
vocal cords, which in turn, could affect the quality of the voice or narrow the
airway.
What are the risks to others?
The viruses that cause croup are spread from person to person by
coughing or sneezing. However, only some children will develop croup when they
are exposed to these viruses.
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