A Dose of Cold, Fresh Air Helps Kids with Croup Breathe Easier, New Study Finds

Spending time outdoors in the cold fresh air may help kids with croup breathe easier. Croup is a common infection of the upper airway that causes swelling in the windpipe and a scary cough that sounds like barking. Hundreds of thousands of infants and young children in the US get croup every year, mostly in the fall and winter.

This new study included 118 children who arrived at a pediatric emergency department with mild or moderate croup and were given a single dose of an oral steroid, which is commonly used to manage the infection. The participants were then randomly assigned to wait either 30 minutes indoors at room temperature or outdoors in the cold air, under 50°F.

The researchers found that exposure to the cold air, in addition to the steroid medication, significantly improved croup symptoms, especially among those with more serious disease. The authors suggest parents can easily perform this measure at home to offer some immediate relief to children with croup.