Croup

Croup is a viral infection that swells the voice box and windpipe in young children. A croup cough sounds like a barking seal and is often worse at night. Most croup is mild and improves within 3 to 5 days.

What Is It

Croup is caused by cold viruses that swell the upper airway. It is most common in children ages 6 months to 5 years, because their airways are small. It peaks in fall and early winter. Symptoms often start like a cold, then the barking cough begins.

Symptoms

A loud, barking cough
A hoarse voice or cry
A high pitched, squeaky sound when breathing in, called stridor
Runny nose and low fever
Symptoms that are worse at night
Fast or hard breathing in more severe cases

Not sure it’s croup? RSV causes wheezing when breathing out, not a barking cough. Stridor at rest, when your child is calm, is more serious than stridor while crying.

Treatment

At your visit: A provider checks your child’s breathing and oxygen level. Many children with croup receive a single dose of steroid medicine, which eases airway swelling within hours. Knowing what to watch for overnight helps.

At home:

Keep your child calm, since crying makes breathing harder
Breathe cool night air for 10 minutes, or sit in a steamy bathroom
Use a cool mist humidifier in the bedroom
Offer fluids and fever medicine as directed

Most croup improves within 3 to 5 days. The cough is usually worst on night 2 or 3.

When to Get Care for Croup

Watch at Home

A barking cough with no stridor
Breathing comfortably and drinking fluids
Settles with cool air or steam

Come to Urgent Care Today

A barking cough with stridor only when upset
A croup cough that does not improve with cool air
Fever above 102 degrees
Croup lasting more than 5 days
Croup in a child under 6 months

Go to the Emergency Department

Stridor while calm or at rest
Ribs or neck pulling in with each breath
Lips or skin turning blue or gray
Drooling or unable to swallow
Very sleepy, hard to wake, or too tired to cry

FAQ

What does a croup cough sound like?

A croup cough sounds like a barking seal. Many children also have a hoarse voice and a squeaky sound when breathing in, called stridor.

How long does croup last?

Croup usually lasts 3 to 5 days. The cough is often worst on the second or third night and then slowly improves.

Is croup contagious?

Croup is contagious because the viruses that cause it spread through coughs, sneezes, and hands. Older children and adults usually get only a cold.

Why is croup worse at night?

Croup is often worse at night because the body makes less natural steroid while sleeping and lying down. Cool night air or steam can help calm it.

Can urgent care treat croup?

Yes, urgent care can treat croup. At Vitality Urgent Care, a provider can check your child’s breathing and oxygen and discuss treatment. No appointment or referral is needed.

When is croup an emergency?

Croup is an emergency when your child has stridor at rest, ribs pulling in, blue lips, drooling, or trouble swallowing. Call 911 or go to the ER.

Last reviewed October 2026