By Appointment :
Mon - Fri : 9 AM - 8 PM || Sat & Sun : 10 AM - 6 PM
Walk-Ins accomodated based on availability
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(832) 215-8884
Open 7 Days, by Appointment
Walk-ins Accommodated Based on Availability
205 E. Medical Center Blvd. Webster, TX
Call: (832) 215-8884
Illnesses
Care for kids and adults
Croup Cough in Kids: Same-Day Care in Webster, TX
A barking cough in the middle of the night is scary to hear. Croup is usually mild and gets better within a week, and the right care can ease the swelling behind it. A board-certified pediatrician can see your child the same day.
By Appointment : Mon to Fri : 9 AM to 8 PM || Sat & Sun : 10 AM to 6 PM
Walk-Ins accommodated based on availability.
Signs of Croup
Croup is swelling around the voice box and windpipe, usually from a cold virus. That swelling causes its well-known sounds:
Barky, Seal-Like Cough
A tight, loud cough that sounds like a seal or a barking dog.
Hoarse Voice
Swelling around the vocal cords makes talking and crying sound raspy or scratchy.
Stridor
A high-pitched, squeaky or harsh sound when your child breathes in. It is common during crying, but stridor at rest needs the ER.
Worse at Night
Croup often wakes kids up suddenly at night. No one is sure exactly why, and crying after a scary wake-up makes it sound worse.
Starts Like a Cold
A runny nose, stuffy nose and low fever often come a day or two before the bark.
Toddlers Most Often
Croup in toddlers is very common. It happens most often between about 6 months and 3 years, when airways are smallest.
Croup is usually worst on the first 2 or 3 nights, and most kids are better within about a week. The viruses that cause it spread like a cold, and some kids get croup more than once.
Croup and RSV can both start like a cold. Croup swells the upper airway and causes the bark. RSV mostly affects the tiny airways deeper in the lungs and is more likely to cause wheezing and fast breathing. Learn more on our RSV care page.
Croup Treatment at Your Visit
- We keep your child calm, often on your lap, because crying makes croup worse.
- We listen to the cough and breathing, check for stridor and watch how hard your child is working to breathe.
- We check oxygen level with a small, painless sensor on a finger or toe.
- Many children get a single dose of steroid medicine by mouth to calm the swelling, when your provider decides it is needed. One dose is usually enough.
- A breathing treatment when your provider decides it is needed, and help getting to the hospital if your child needs closer watching.
- No antibiotics, since croup is caused by a virus, and a clear plan for the nights ahead.
Stridor or Wheezing?
Both are noisy breathing, but they are different. Stridor is a harsh, high sound when breathing in, from swelling in the upper airway, like croup. Wheezing is a whistling sound, usually when breathing out, from tight or swollen airways deeper in the lungs, like asthma or RSV.
If your child wheezes, has asthma or uses an inhaler, see our asthma and breathing treatment page.
Home Care for Croup
- Stay calm and hold your child. Crying makes the swelling and noisy breathing worse, and your calm voice really helps.
- Cool night air may comfort: bundle your child up and sit outside or by an open window for a few minutes.
- A steamy bathroom may also comfort. Run a hot shower with the door closed and sit with your child in the steam, never in or near the hot water.
- Offer fluids often, and hold your child upright while awake if that eases the breathing.
- For fever or a sore throat, use acetaminophen (3 months and up) or ibuprofen (6 months and up), dosed by weight. Skip cough medicines, which do not help croup.
- Sleep in the same room as your child for the first few nights so you can hear any changes, and keep your child away from smoke.
Go to the ER or call 911 if your child:
- Has stridor, a harsh, squeaky sound when breathing in, while resting or calm
- Is drooling, has trouble swallowing or will not swallow their own spit
- Is struggling to breathe, with the belly or the skin between the ribs pulling in
- Has blue or gray lips or face
- Is very sleepy, limp or hard to wake
- Cannot speak or cry because of trouble breathing
- Is younger than 3 months with a temperature of 100.4°F or higher
Insurance Accepted
We make it easy to use your benefits. PediSTAT Urgent Care is in network with:
Not sure if your plan is covered? Call (832) 215-8884 and we'll verify your child's benefits before the visit.
Hours & Location
205 E Medical Center Blvd, Webster, TX 77598
| Monday to Friday | 9:00am to 8:00pm |
| Saturday | 10:00am to 6:00pm |
| Sunday | 10:00am to 6:00pm |
By Appointment : Mon to Fri : 9 AM to 8 PM || Sat & Sun : 10 AM to 6 PM. Walk-Ins accommodated based on availability.
All hours Central Time. Flexible after-hours and weekend hours convenient for busy families. Walk-ins welcome, and booking online means an even shorter wait.
Schedule AppointmentCroup FAQs
Is croup contagious?
The viruses that cause croup spread like a cold, through coughs, sneezes and hands. Children can usually go back to school or daycare once they have had no fever for 24 hours without fever medicine and feel up to it. Check your school's policy.
How long does croup last?
Croup is usually worst on the first 2 or 3 nights. Most children are better within about a week, though a mild cough can hang on a little longer.
Is the steroid medicine for croup safe?
For most kids, yes. One dose of steroid medicine for croup is very different from taking steroids for weeks, and side effects from a single dose are uncommon. Your provider will go over it with you.
What if croup flares at night after you close?
Hold your child and try cool night air or a steamy bathroom. If there is stridor at rest, trouble swallowing, belly pulling in or blue lips, go to the ER or call 911. If your child settles, book a visit the next day. We are open 7 days: Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM.
Do you take my insurance?
Yes. PediSTAT Urgent Care is in network with TRICARE, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana and Curative. We do not accept Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare or Community Health Choice. Paying yourself? Our transparent self-pay prices are listed on our Prices page.
More Ways We Can Help
Medical Director
Dr. Ragini Miryala
Pediatrician in Webster, Texas with more than 20 years in practice. Medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine. Affiliated with HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and St. Joseph Medical Center-Houston.
Barky Cough? Get It Checked Today
Book a same-day visit online or call us. A calm, kid-friendly exam, the right medicine when it is needed and a plan for tonight.
This page is general health information and does not replace a visit with a medical provider. In an emergency, call 911.
PediSTAT Urgent Care is here for your child’s healthcare needs when most pediatrician’s offices are closed. We have the benefit of onsite lab and x-ray without the hassle and cost of an emergency room visit.