Croup treatment: Does high humidity relieve symptoms?

My mother and I are having a disagreement about whether steam treatment relieves croup symptoms. She says her experience as a mother tells her it does. But I say it doesn't. Who is right?

- No name / No state given

Answer

You're both right. Changes in humidity and air temperature are useful in managing mild croup at home. But a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2006 suggested that use of high humidity in children with moderate to severe croup treated in an emergency room provided no benefit.

Croup is characterized by a distinctive barking cough caused by inflammation around the vocal cords. Other signs and symptoms of croup include fever and a hoarse voice.

In mild cases of croup, soothing your child while sitting in a steamy bathroom or standing in the cool night air with your child in a coat may provide relief from a coughing episode. If such measures don't help, this may be an indication that your child needs medical attention.

In severe cases of croup — such as croup accompanied by noisy, labored breathing (stridor) — a doctor may prescribe corticosteroid medications, epinephrine or another medication to open your child's airways.

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