Croup with Temper Tantrums.....!

My son used to get croup, if this is really croup it can be very serious. His throat would begin to close on him and we would have to take him to the hospital, they would give him a shot to relax his throat muscles so he could begin to breathe easier. The hoarse cough is not what I would call croup, it is usually combined with an inability to get enough air down the path way.

With that said, if someone cut off my air way I think I would be throwing a fit too, and I am a lot older than your son. He is probably scared and can not understand why he is unable to breathe as well as he should. He may very well be in pain. My son continued to have croup once or twice a year until he was about 10 years old. he said that it would hurt when he tried to breathe and it was scary when he could not get enough air.

Dont just assume it is all about temper, the poor kid maybe very scared.

R.,

Our daughter is prone to croup as well. She doesn't throw temper tantrums, but she does go on crying jags because she can't breath and is frustrated, this causes the coughing to get worse. I do think your son's tantrums are probably from feeling bad and not breathing well. Croup causes the voice box to swell and close off the air way. It is usually treated with steroidal syrup to reduce the inflammation in the worst cases. Cough and cold medicine will not help.

Our doctor recommends a cool mist vaporizer and breathing cold air as well. When she starts to get worked up we carry her out to the garage in the winter wrapped in blankets or in the summer we have her take deep breaths with her head in the freezer. This may sound strange, but reducing the swelling and getting her to calm down will stop her crying fits. Cold water also helps sooth croupy kids.

The key is staying calm and telling them what is happening. It has to be terrifying to a small child to not be able to breath well. Hope your baby gets better soon. Croup should only last two to three days. If it goes on longer take him in to the doctor. Croup and eczema are considered early signs of possible allergic reactions and asthma.

Best wishes,

J. N.

Are you absolutely positive that it is Croup? Sometimes when my 18 month old son is having an asthma attack, he will act as though he is throwing a fit, screaming and kicking, coughing severly, thrashing around on the floor and then all of the sudden he will stop, sit straight up, and then he is wheezing and breathing heavy. I thought that it was a temper tantrum and then his allergist told me that it was him having an asthma attack, since he did right there in the doctor's office and the doc checked his vital signs and listened to his lungs while he was having his fit. Now, when I see him doing this, I grab him and take him immediately to his breathing machine and this has helped him (and me) tremendously. Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often so that helps as well. Your son probably doesn't have asthma either, and I don't know much about Croup except that it is an upper respiratory thing, and he may just be having a breathing problem when these "tantrums" are going on rather than him just throwing a fit, especially if you have never seen him do it before. Just a thought!

You might want to take him to see the pediatrician. When my son has been unusually grumpy, he has usually had an ear infection. Sometimes this is the only symptom...no fever, etc.

I understand that your little one isn't feeling well, but that is no excuss for a temper tantrum. You have to nip the tantrums in the bud early or they will just get worse. Temper tantrums usually are just a childs way of trying to get attention. You have to teach him that if he needs something, throwing a fit is not the way to get what he wants. We he starts throwing a fit, leave him alone. Walk out of the room. If he starts to get violent, put him in a safe place like his crib and walk out of the room until he stops screaming. I always told my girls as I walked away that when they were ready to talk about the problem, I would come back and help but throwing a fit just gets you in trouble. I'm sure that with him not feeling good, the tantrums are worse but you have to encourage him to talk and communicate with you and let him know that you cannot help him when he acts like that. It won't take long for him to get the clue that screaming does NOT get mommies attention and he will find some other way to communicate his needs to you. I hope he feels better soon.

You didn't say what preceded these tantrums. Is he reacting to something you've said "no" or "don't" or "stop it" to - or told him to do something he didn't want to do?
- If so, read up on handling tantrums - and deal with the bahvior. We usually hold on tight and rock, cuddle and "sshhh" and tell our little one to take deep breaths, stroke him to help him relax...and explain that fussing isn't going to help. (I will have to say - he's a very special boy and quite bright - he's always listened well and his tantrums have been very few.)

If not - this is, as several have mentioned, something physical and you need to speak with his doctor - and follow some of the good advice given here.

My youngest daughter had a temper problem when she was little and what worked best for her was for me to go to her, lay her down and I would rub her feet until she calmed down. Think of how relaxing it is when someone rubs your feet. She's nine now and when she gets really upset about something it still works to calm her down so I can talk to her.

Has he already seen the doctor? Sometimes the steroids that are prescribed will make kids edgy.

I'm no doctor, but just remember...the baby won't stop crying until you stop crying! Stay calm and nurturing, and ask the doctor!
Good Luck!

My suggestion is maybe another visit to the doctor. We just got over two cases of croup with our two kiddos. Ear infections can happen at any time after croup... You might try to rule out the ear infection?! Good luck!