logo
Published on The New Homemaker (http://www.thenewhomemaker.com)

Study: Steam Doesn't Help Croup

By Lynn
Created 07/19/2006 - 8:47pm

Well, NOW what are we supposed to do? [1]

Contrary to popular belief, humid air does not relieve the coughing and wheezing of croup in children, a new study shows.

"Typically, you get people to run a hot bath or shower in the bathroom. Or you get them to boil a kettle in the room, or have hot water in the corner of the room. That's the kind of first-aid advice that is often given at the point of first contact with a health-care professional," lead reviewer Dr. Michael Moore, a family doctor at Three Swans Surgery in Salisbury, England, said in a prepared statement.

In the study, published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, Moore and his colleagues analyzed data from three studies of 135 children with croup who were seen in a hospital emergency department.

The outcomes for children treated with moist air did not differ significantly from those who received no treatment, the researchers found.

This runs counter to everything I've experienced about congestion in my children, though admittedly I have no experience with croup. You?

Technorati Tags: Children's Health [10]

Source URL:
http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/node/70289