Most children with viral croup are between the ages of three months and five years old. Croup is most likely to occur during the winter months and early spring. Symptoms are most severe in children younger than three years of age.
Croup often begins like a normal cold followed by a harsh and barking cough, described as "croupy". This often happens at night when the air is cooler. Croup from a viral infection usually lasts less than a week. Croup rarely causes any long-term complications.
