Cough medicines Medicines are less helpful than either mist or drinking warm, clear fluids. Children over 4 years old can be given cough drops for the cough. Close observation While your child is croupy, sleep in the same room with him. Croup can be a dangerous disease. Smoke exposure By all means, don't let anyone smoke around your child.
Smoke can make croup worse.
Contagiousness The viruses that cause croup are quite contagious until the fever is gone or at least during the first 3 days of illness. Since spread of this infection can't be prevented, your child can return to school or child care once he feels better. Your child starts drooling or spitting, or starts having great difficulty swallowing. The warm mist fails to clear up the stridor in 20 minutes. Your child starts acting very sick.