Stridor is the sound produced by turbulent flow of air through a narrowed segment of the respiratory tract. It is a sign of airway obstruction in a child. The larynx functions as a passage for breathing, an organ of communication, and as a protective valve to prevent foreign objects including food and water from entering the lungs. At times, it may be required to further evaluate the whole airway of the child in detail under a general anesthetic to confirm initial findings and rule out lesions elsewhere in the respiratory tract. Stridor is a sign of some type of problem, and iis not a diagnosis itself.
Proper management is possible only after a diagnosis has been established.
Laryngomalacia is the most frequent cause of stridor in infants. It is a result of flaccidity of laryngeal structures and tissues causing them to collapse into the airway. A low-pitched or squeaky intermittent inspiratory sound, which gets louder when the child is supine, crying, or feeding is the hallmark of laryngomalacia. This is usually first noticed in the first few weeks of life. The stridor may worsen over the next few months, is at it's worst at around six months and then gradually improves.