Does Laryngomalacia Get Worse?

My daughter (now almost 16 mths) was also diagnosed with this. By about 13 mths, there was no sign of it. Yea! I do remember sometime between 6 & 9 months it seemed to sound worse for a few weeks or a month. And then it got better. But she also got more rattly with the slightest hint of a cold or allergies. I would just say do what you're doing, keep a closer eye on him. You'll know if it's something more serious. Good luck!

I have a 5 week old son that was diagnosed the day he was born and was put in NICU for 4 days. We were told he has a mild case and that it would get worse before it gets better. We were also told that it could last up to 2 years of age. I was glad to see your question and interested myself in the responses. I'm thinking about making an appt. with an ENT this week for a second opinion and to get some more info.

I took my son to the ENT yesterday and found out he has a raging case of reflux and was prescribed prevacid until he is one. He said the reason it gets worse is because your child becomes more active and breaths more heavily to do more activities. He said right now he only breaths heavy when eating and crying; that's why the stridor is worse at those times. As he starts to crawl and do more, which requires quicker breathing, then the stridor gets worse. He also said that by age one it should be nearly gone. If you would like to e-mail to talk more about it you can at ____@____.com's a little scary.

One of my 3 year old twins still has this. The ENT and pedi assured me that she would grow out of it completely (we're still waiting!). When she was not yet one it did seem to get worse, and then got much, much, much better. It seemed that when she had allergies, a cold, or got any germs (like a cold) in her throat it got worse. Hang in there - I think it sounds worse than it is, and the waiting for your child to outgrow something can be hard.

Laryngomalacia

What is laryngomalacia?

Laryngomalacia is the most frequent cause of stridor or noisy breathing in infants. It occurs as a result of a floppy portion of the larynx (voice box) that has not yet developed the strength to provide rigid support of the airway. During inspiration, negative pressure is created through the larynx, which results in a collapse of these structures into the airway and a narrower breathing passage. The partial obstruction is the source of the noise with breathing.

What are the characteristics of laryngomalacia?

The hallmark sign includes a high pitched or squeaky intermittent sound noted mostly on inspiration. It is usually more prominent when the infant is lying on his/her back, crying, feeding, excited or has a cold. This is usually first noticed in the first few weeks of life. It may worsen over the first few months and become louder. This is because as the baby grows, the inspiratory force is greater, which causes greater collapse of the laryngeal structures into the airway. This is usually at it’s worst at 3-6 months and then gradually improves as the rigidity of the cartilage improves. Most children are symptom free by 12 months.

Is laryngomalacia a dangerous condition?

It is usually a benign, self-limiting condition, which does not interfere with a child’s growth and development. More worrisome symptoms to be mindful of include difficulty with feeding, inward collapse of the chest wall above or below the ribs during inspiration, failure to gain weight and color changes to pale or blue.

How is laryngomalacia diagnosed?

The diagnosis of laryngomalacia is made using a flexible telescope or fiberoptic laryngoscope. This is a flexible tube that contains light carrying fibers that is passed through the nose and allows the doctor to view the voice box. This procedure is performed in the doctor’s office with the child awake. After a detailed examination the physician will categorize the condition as being mild, moderate, or severe.

How is laryngomalacia managed?

Mild symptoms and signs may be managed by periodic observation only. Moderate obstruction may require home monitoring of breathing and a more detailed assessment. Severe conditions may require a surgical procedure to relieve the obstruction and correct the functional abnormality.

Is laryngomalacia associated with any other conditions?

Laryngomalacia often has an association with stomach acid reflux (GERD). All infants have some reflux to some degree or another. However, infants with laryngomalacia often have more stomach acid reflux than others. When the stomach acid regurgitates to the level of the voice box, it can cause further swelling of the airway and worsening of the noisy breathing. Children with this condition do better if lying on their sides or stomachs, sitting upright or at a 30-degree angle. The child should also be held in an upright position for 30 minutes after feeding and never fed lying down. If the reflux is significant, medicine may be prescribed and thickening of feeds may be recommended.

My now ten-month-old daughter was diagnosed at three days old with Laryngomalacia. Curiously, her ENT has never told me any "stage" that she was in, but both her ENT and pediatrician have told me that she has a very severe case (was hospitalized in the NICU at 12 days old with breathing difficulties complicated by Laryngomalacia). It is my understanding that it WILL "get worse" before it gets better - meaning, that as the vocal cords improve, it will cause the kiddos' breathing to get louder and make them sound worse. My daughter has recently started snorting when she laughs and, on occasion, snores which I am attributing to the laryngomalacia. She and I share the same ENT and I have an appointment on Wednesday and plan on asking about it then. I'll be more than happy to share with you whatever info she gives me about the inception of snoring in babies with Laryngomalacia if you'd like. Hope this helps!