Collaborative care for children, teens, and young adults’ voices
Voice disorders are conditions that affect how a child’s voice sounds — often described as hoarse, raspy, weak, or breathy. They can impact pitch, volume, and even how easily a child is understood. Voice disorders may result from structural, behavioral, or neurological causes and affect up to 17 percent of children.
The Pediatric Voice Clinic evaluates and treats pediatric voice disorders. When appropriate, we offer voice therapy to help your child use their voice in a healthy, efficient way.
Our specialists treat the full spectrum of voice disorders, including but not limited to:
- Vocal fold nodules
- Vocal fold paralysis
- Muscle tension dysphonia
- Vocal fold cysts or polyps
Our clinic is one of few in the country focused exclusively on diagnosing and treating childhood voice disorders. With a team of experts that includes pediatric otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists, we’re uniquely positioned to quickly and comprehensively evaluate, diagnose, and treat your child’s voice.
What causes voice problems in children?
Many voice-related problems stem from conditions or behaviors that affect the larynx. The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a complex structure that helps your child speak, breathe, and swallow.
There are several behaviors and conditions that can affect the larynx. For example:
- Yelling, screaming, singing, performing, or otherwise using your voice a lot can strain or injure your larynx.
- Chronic coughing or throat clearing can irritate your vocal cords.
- Some surgeries or a long intubation can injure your larynx.
- Acid from the stomach due to gastroesophageal reflux can irritate your voice box.
How we approach voice disorders
At the Boston Children’s Hospital Pediatric Voice Clinic, we take a personalized, multidisciplinary approach to treating each child. Your child’s care team will include:
- Otolaryngologists, who treat conditions in your child’s ears, nose, and throat
- Speech-language pathologists, who evaluate and treat children with conditions that make it hard for children to communicate or swallow
We understand medical evaluations and treatments can feel intimidating for children. Our Pediatric Voice Clinic team helps your child feel comfortable and confident through every step of the evaluation, treatment, and follow-up process at their own pace.
