Croup, Grandma and Stress Effects on Illness

3/14/2008

I had the privilege of seeing a seven year old girl today with viral croup. This condition is more common in toddlers and is the result of a viral infection of the upper airway and vocal cords. Typically these children have a barking type of cough, often like a seal bark. Young children can have significant narrowing of the vocal cords resulting in inspiratory stridor. This symptom is a description of a sound that typically occurs when attempting to take a breath. Steam from the shower can break the spasm. Liquids are very important as the rapid breathing associated with croup could aggravate the condition by dehydration. A quick walk in the cold air outdoors can also break the spasm. If the breathing difficulties are severe, a trip to the emergency department might be indicated. If the croup is severe enough, an oral steroid (dexamethasone) might be suggested for a 2-3 days.

The grandmother brought the child in because the mom was busy at home with a 15 month old brother who had a hernia repair yesterday. The grandmother asked a very insightful question. She wanted to know whether stress could contribute to the infection. She felt that the sister with croup was very concerned that her baby brother had to undergo surgery, albeit a very quick and easy surgery. I was stunned at how very intuitive this hip grandma was. Most parents and grandparents have difficulty grasping the concept that stress in children can be a contributor to disease. While I could not tell grandma with any certainty whether stress was a contributing factor in this case, I can say with full certainty that the immune system is very susceptible to all forms of stress. The field of psychoneuroimmunology is based on these incredibly important interactions between our emotions and our immune system. It is not false science by any stretch of the imagination. In our first book, Healthy Child, Whole Child, we dedicated a significant area of discussion about this fascinating interaction in kids and adults. Our second book which will be released in several months expanded on these areas.

My hat off to grandma for being so in tune to her granddaughters' needs and health!

      

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