Why are children more likely to be affected by pseudocroup? | Pseudocroup

Why are children more likely to be affected by pseudocroup?

The narrow anatomical conditions of the child’s airways hardly allow for infectious swelling of the mucous membrane. This quickly leads to a narrowing of the airways, shortness of breath and suffocation. The classic age of onset of the disease for Pseudocrupp includes infants between 6 months and about 3 years.

Even younger infants, older children, adolescents and adults are affected much less frequently. Of course, a pseudocroup is not impossible in individual cases, however, and in the case of typical symptoms it cannot be ruled out even at a different age. The reason for the frequent occurrence in just this phase of life lies in the anatomical peculiarities of the respiratory tract.

In babies and infants, these are still of relatively small diameter, so that the air flow can be considerably impeded as soon as there is a swelling of the mucous membranes. Although minor mucosal swelling is still quite unpleasant in adults, it rarely leads to symptoms of respiratory distress. In the case of symptoms of “barking” cough, hoarseness and shortness of breath, the paediatrician (specialist for paediatrics) should be consulted in any case.

In some cases, the pediatrician will recommend hospitalization to ensure that the airways are kept clear and an adequate supply of oxygen is available. In any case, despite all the excitement, parents should ensure that the child is calmed and relaxed! if parents panic themselves, the child will notice this and the symptoms may be even worse.

The air in the room where the child is should be dry and cool. Warm, humid air or even inhalation vapour can additionally irritate the sensitive laryngeal mucosa and aggravate breathing difficulties. Early vaccination protection against Haemophilus influenza (HiB) should be ensured to prevent a bacterial superinfection.