Pediatric Voice Disorders: Highlights

Key Glossary Terms

Stridor
Noisy breathing

Larynx
Highly specialized structure atop the windpipe responsible for sound production, air passage during breathing and protecting the airway during swallowing

Glossary

• There are a variety of causes of hoarseness in children, the most common of which are not malignant or life threatening.
• There are some rare causes of hoarseness, however, that need immediate attention.

There are typical differences between hoarseness in newborns and children.

• Hoarseness or abnormal cry in newborns is usually caused by a congenital (present at birth) or neurologic (brain- or nerve-based) problem.
• Hoarseness in children is usually caused by a problem that is occurs after birth. These causes include:
  • Vocal nodules
  • Infections
  • Papilloma
  • Gastropharyngeal reflux

• Stridor (noisy breathing) in children is related to voice disorders because the cause(s) may lie within the voice box (laryngeal causes for noisy breathing).
• Stridor can also be caused by problems outside of the voice box.

Red Flag

• Noisy breathing (stridor) is a sign of obstruction or narrowing of the laryngeal or tracheal parts of the airway.
• Stridor is a sign of difficulty passing air.
• Any breathing difficulty needs immediate medical attention.

• Stridor can occur only while breathing in (inhalation stridor), only while breathing out (exhalation stridor), or during both parts of the breathing cycle.
• Determining which part of the breathing cycle (inhalation or exhalation) is noisiest can help determine the cause of the stridor.

An otolaryngologist who is familiar with pediatric voice disorders, often in conjunction with a speech language pathologist, should evaluate the child with hoarseness.

Understanding the Disorder