Symptoms of laryngeal stridor, early manifestations to know

Laryngeal stridor is very common in infants and is congenital. It is often caused by fetal calcium deficiency due to malnutrition during pregnancy. If there are no symptoms, treatment is not required. If it affects breathing, surgical treatment should be performed in time.

1. Early symptoms

Based on the history of laryngeal stridor shortly after birth, there was no history or signs of foreign bodies in the respiratory tract or other diseases. The lateral laryngeal X-ray is normal, the cry is loud and the swallowing is good, and the diagnosis can usually be made without direct laryngoscopy.

During direct laryngoscopy, it can be seen that the epiglottis cartilage is long and pointed, with both sides curled backwards and touching each other; or the epiglottis is large and soft, with the two sides of the epiglottis and the aryepiglottic folds close to each other; in some cases, loose tissue on the arytenoid cartilage protrudes toward the glottis and blocks the glottis. After the epiglottis is lifted with direct laryngoscopy, the stridor disappears, thus confirming the diagnosis.

The baby's breathing is normal when it is born, but laryngeal stridor gradually develops 1 to 2 months after birth. Most of the symptoms are persistent or intermittent. Laryngolaryngitis occurs only during the inspiratory phase and may be accompanied by inspiratory dyspnea. There are also cases where the laryngeal sound is not obvious at ordinary times, but occurs immediately after the slightest stimulation. Some are related to body position, getting worse when lying on your back and getting better when lying on your stomach or side. The general condition of most children is good and their crying is not hoarse.

2. Causes

Due to malnutrition during pregnancy and fetal calcium deficiency, the laryngeal cartilage becomes weak and the negative pressure increases during inhalation, causing the two edges of the epiglottic cartilage to curl inward and touch each other, or the epiglottic cartilage is too large and soft, the two sides of the aryepiglottic folds approach each other, the laryngeal cavity becomes narrowed and vibrates like a valve, and laryngitis occurs. Inspiratory arytenoid prolapse is another cause. The honking in children with this condition is not caused by weak laryngeal cartilages, but rather by the fact that the arytenoid cartilages rotate forward and downward during inhalation, and the loose tissue on them protrudes toward the front of the glottis, blocking the glottis and causing honking.