Would you dine with a family whose LO has croup?

[tny915]

We have dinner plans with some friends this weekend. Their baby was just in the hospital with croup yesterday. Baby will not be coming to dinner, but their other kids will be coming.

WWYD? Would you bring your kids out to dine with this family? I'm most concerned about DD2.

[infomama]

Based on the following info obtained from www.medicinenet.com, I would leave them at home. Their kids may be infected and not be showing symptoms yet. Better safe than sorry IMO.

"Croup is contagious, and it is usually spread by airborne infectious droplets sneezed or coughed into the air by infected children. When infectious droplets are inhaled by a healthy child, symptoms can develop in two to three days."

[SnuggleBuggles]

According to Dr. Sears it is as contagious as the cold. Good hygiene goes a long way.

Me? I might go but only if it was really hard to schedule the get together and there are no chances in the immediate future to get together.

Beth

[melissaflorida]

I wouldn't go. My daughter had croup last year and ended up in the ER. Very scary.

~Melissa

[egoldber]

I probably would. Croup is basically just a cold and some children get inflamed vocal cords. My kids have both had croup at the same time, one had the full on croup bark and the other had the tiniest little croupy noise now and then.

Have the other kids already had the cold? Or was this kid the first to get it? That would affect my decision as well.

And if you would go over there if one had a cold, I would go if one had croup. For most kids and in most instances croup is not serious even though it sounds horrid. JMO.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I loathe the common cold but I don't mind meeting at an outdoor area with a sick kid. A restaurant where the kids will be in close proximity? Not comfortable with that.

[Melbel]

I would probably go so long as the older children are not ill. If we had to cancel plans every time an absent sibling was ill, we would rarely go anywhere! Croup is usually mild and not serious, even with my 2 asthma kids. Both DS and DD1 have had croup multiple times. Obviously, good hygiene goes a long way. To be on the safe side, I would not let any of their family members to touch or hold the baby. I should add that I am known as a certifiable germ phobe! Have fun!

[DietCokeLover]

I would take it as an opportunity to find a babysitter and then let the adults go.

[tny915]

Thanks for your input, everyone.

We're meeting at a restaurant, and their older children have not yet shown signs of croup. Only their baby is affected so far. We're still wavering in our decision but are leaning toward just sending DH.

If this were a cold, we wouldn't think twice about going. But DD1 had croup a little over a year ago. We didn't need to go into the ER, but she was home for a week, had the croupy cough, couldn't breathe, lost her voice, all of that. We were all miserable and so worried. And she was 4-years-old I can't even imagine going through that with a baby.

[Tondi G]

I would pass! Having dealt with Croup in my little guy when he was 2 ... I would rather not knowingly potentially expose my child to it. Who likes being up in the middle of the night with a baby who can't breathe properly... not me!

reschedule for a week from now maybe?

[o_mom]

Thanks for your input, everyone.

We're meeting at a restaurant, and their older children have not yet shown signs of croup. Only their baby is affected so far. We're still wavering in our decision but are leaning toward just sending DH.

If this were a cold, we wouldn't think twice about going. But DD1 had croup a little over a year ago. We didn't need to go into the ER, but she was home for a week, had the croupy cough, couldn't breathe, lost her voice, all of that. We were all miserable and so worried. And she was 4-years-old I can't even imagine going through that with a baby.

I would weigh it the same as any other cold, since any cold has the potential to become croup. It really should be thought of as a symptoms, like runny nose, stuffy head, etc., not its own disease. There is no one virus that causes croup, a few viruses are more likely to cause croup symptoms, but it can come with any cold. Even if your DC caught this baby's virus, it may or may not become croup in your child.

We have had croupy coughs so many times here I have lost count. BTDT with going to the ER for epinephrine and all that. We now treat it at home with a nebulizer and steriods and it really is pretty random if they get it or not. We can have all three with colds and only one gets croupy - different one each time, too.

Anyway - I think like PPs pointed out, you have to weigh the whole situation and decide on your comfort level. I don't think it's bad manners to back out for any illness and certainly anyone with children would understand that.

[brittone2]

I would weigh it the same as any other cold, since any cold has the potential to become croup. It really should be thought of as a symptoms, like runny nose, stuffy head, etc., not its own disease. There is no one virus that causes croup, a few viruses are more likely to cause croup symptoms, but it can come with any cold. Even if your DC caught this baby's virus, it may or may not become croup in your child.

Anyway - I think like PPs pointed out, you have to weigh the whole situation and decide on your comfort level. I don't think it's bad manners to back out for any illness and certainly anyone with children would understand that.

ITA. DS had croup yearly from age 1-4. The very first episode he had was scary as he was having some breathing problems, but cold air got it calmed down enough for us to avoid the ER and make it to the doc the next day. Most years, he's been barely even sick during the day (maybe slight clear runny nose), but come 9pm he's barking. And we have barky evenings for about 2-3 nights afterward.

[lorinick]

I'd go and leave my children home. When I arrived home I would change my clothes and wash my hands as I do everytime I come home. Washing hands not changing clothes. I'm not that crazy.