The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged parents and carers to check whether they can tell the difference between whooping cough and croup, two winter illnesses that sound similar but often require very different forms of treatment.
In a post on its X account, the government body said that whooping cough and croup "can sound different from the usual winter coughs" and asked parents whether they could recognise the differences and identify the specific warning signs of each.
What the UKHSA advises
The post said: "Whooping cough and croup can sound different from the usual winter coughs. Would you recognise them?"
It added: "The best way to protect your child is to keep their vaccinations up to date. Vaccination helps protect against whooping cough and some of the viruses that can cause croup."
How to tell croup and whooping cough apart
According to the NHS, croup is a common condition that mainly affects babies and young children. While cases are generally mild, the NHS advises contacting NHS 111 or consulting a GP if croup is suspected, as treatment may be required.
The distinctive sign of croup is a harsh, barking cough that often sounds like a seal, sometimes accompanied by a high-pitched whistling or squeaky sound when breathing in, and a hoarse voice. These symptoms are "often worse at night", according to the NHS.
Whooping cough, an infection affecting the lungs and airways, may be the cause if symptoms appear more severe, with violent bouts of coughing. Children will frequently follow this with a deep, gasping, high-pitched "whoop" as they struggle to breathe in.
Families can usually stop worrying about croup after age 5 or 6, as children's windpipes become wider and firmer with age, meaning the same virus will simply cause a standard head cold rather than croup. The risk of severe, life-threatening complications from whooping cough drops sharply once a baby is past 6 months old and has completed the initial course of routine vaccines.
Treatment and prevention
Both conditions have effective treatments available, though whooping cough is far easier to prevent through routine vaccinations. Because croup is viral and whooping cough is bacterial, they require different approaches.
A GP will prescribe antibiotics to help prevent the whooping cough infection from spreading further. Croup typically clears up on its own within a few days, though it can be aided by an oral steroid (such as dexamethasone) to swiftly reduce inflammation in the windpipe.
The most effective prevention is vaccination. The 6-in-1 vaccine, administered to babies at 8, 12, and 16 weeks, and the 4-in-1 pre-school booster offer robust protection. Pregnant women are also offered a vaccine, typically between 16 and 32 weeks, to transfer immunity to their newborn before the baby is old enough for their own immunisations.
Urgent medical attention should be sought immediately if anyone with a cough is having difficulty breathing, develops blue, grey, or pale skin or lips, becomes abnormally limp or difficult to rouse, or experiences any pauses in their breathing.
