Asthmatic 3year old with croup

[DMcG18]

So my 3yo daughter was at the doctors on Tuesday and told she has croup. Diagnosed this as she has red, inflamed throat/airways! She was given a 2 day course or prednisone? I think it’s called.

Anyways my question is, if she’s been given the steroids before the croup cough started will she dodge the cough and hopefully not end up with bad stridor Or is there a chance she’ll still end up just as poorly as the steroids were given too early?

Bit of background as to why I’m worried:

She’s finally been diagnosed with asthma after a long bottle with doctors over the past 3 years, after taking bronchilitis as a baby she’s has recurrent chest/lung infections and has spend almost a week or 2 every month on antibiotics for different infections due to a weakened immune system.

[Minushabens]

Hi there & welcome.

It sounds like you have a lot going on really here. I wonder if perhaps the key for you is to take a step back & just think her situation through. Croup is generally a minor illness, even with wheezing & coughing, but is also easy to confuse with asthma (I know because I did it myself with my eldest many moons ago). I don't think the steroids will have been given 'too early' as such - they are really just designed to tackle the inflammation. (I think as a rule the drug is prednisone in the US & prednisolone here, but it's the same thing as far as I know).

Children do pick up lots of infections at that age - has anyone suggested WHY that's happening, other than the weakened immune system - or explained WHY it's weak? I don't really know much about immune systems, why they become weakened, or what to do, but looking specifically at her asthma; having obtained an asthma diagnosis then there really should be a treatment regime in place (normal would be a steroid inhaler + reliever).

You're clearly in a situation that will cause a lot of concern, but my advice really would be just to draw breath & look at what is going on for her that you need to prioritise, what is normal for a 3-year-old (including normal for a 3-year-old asthmatic) & what information you need to care for her effectively.

I hope that helps a little bit anyway.

[DMcG18]

Hi, Thankyou for your reply.

Yes i understand that it’s a mild illness usually but she gets croup quite frequently and usually ends up needing hospital treatment so I guess that’s why I’m worried.

As for her asthma, she’s being treated with Salbutomol and Clenil inhalers, also montelukast granules. We’ve seen an ent who has also advised that she has enlarged tonsils which also adds to why she breathes so loudly at times.

I think with her immune system they think that due to needing antibiotics or steroids on an almost monthly basis since she was around 12 Weeks old her immune system hasn’t had the chance to fight anything off itself properly. Well that’s how the doctor explained it to me and her dad.

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