Steroid Calms Kids With Mild Croup
Treatment Decreases Coughing Duration and Severity
In an editorial accompanying the study, Boston pediatrician and professor of pediatrics Perri Klass, MD, writes that the small but important gains seen in the study population represent potentially major differences in the course of a single child's illness.
"A case of croup that is seen by the doctor as reassuringly mild can nevertheless mean sleepless nights, anxiety, and misery for the whole family," she writes. "That's still no reason to offer an intervention that doesn't actually help, but it's an excellent reason to offer one that shortens the illness and helps everyone get a better night's sleep."
In an interview with WebMD, Klass says steroids have been used for years in higher doses to treat children with asthma, but more study is needed to confirm their safety in children with mild croup.
"Mild croup certainly doesn't endanger the child's life, but it is still an illness that results in tremendous concern and misery to the child and the child's family," she says. "Croup is scary looking and scary sounding, and it is very hard for a parent to watch their child suffer with the awful sounding cough. We can now offer them a treatment that has a clear benefit."
Steroid Calms Kids With Mild Croup
Treatment Decreases Coughing Duration and Severity
Treatment Appears Safe
In an editorial accompanying the study, Boston pediatrician and professor of pediatrics Perri Klass, MD, writes that the small but important gains seen in the study population represent potentially major differences in the course of a single child's illness.
"A case of croup that is seen by the doctor as reassuringly mild can nevertheless mean sleepless nights, anxiety, and misery for the whole family," she writes. "That's still no reason to offer an intervention that doesn't actually help, but it's an excellent reason to offer one that shortens the illness and helps everyone get a better night's sleep."
In an interview with WebMD, Klass says steroids have been used for years in higher doses to treat children with asthma, but more study is needed to confirm their safety in children with mild croup.
"Mild croup certainly doesn't endanger the child's life, but it is still an illness that results in tremendous concern and misery to the child and the child's family," she says. "Croup is scary looking and scary sounding, and it is very hard for a parent to watch their child suffer with the awful sounding cough. We can now offer them a treatment that has a clear benefit."