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Laryngomalacia is essentially a floppiness of the upper airway. It occurs most commonly in otherwise healthy children. Symptoms of noisy breathing or stridor usually present several weeks after birth. The noise is often high-pitched and associated with agitation or excitement. Other important findings include difficulty with feeding or any respiratory distress or "blue spells."
Laryngomalacia is diagnosed both by the clinical history and by examination in the office setting. This is most commonly performed with a flexible fiberoptic telescope placed in the nose to evaluate the upper airway and voice box.
The good news is that in most children, surgery is not required to correct this condition which resolves with the child's advancing age, typically by 18 months to 2 years.
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