Dieting is chiefly of use as a prophylactic measure in those cases in which indigestion is the exciting cause. By feeding an infant or child carefully, flatulence, indigestion, and constipation may be prevented. These conditions are often the immediate cause of attacks of laryngismus stridulus.

Rickets, or a tendency to rickets, increases the liability of a child to croup. If it is old enough, meat-juices, broths, eggs, and fruit-juices should be eaten, although milk should still constitute the chief article of diet. Cod-liver oil and the phosphates are important adjuvants. Hard-fried bacon is good in this class of cases, and may be eaten freely by children fifteen months or more old.