Others that have input can answer as well of course. I just noticed some posts from MINNIE on the subject and I dont have PM yet. I am convinced after reading your post about Laryngomalacia that this is what has been going on with my son since he was just a few weeks old. A little history he was diagnosed with GERD @ 17 days old after an apnea episode. When we were only home from the NICU a few days (he spent a couple of days there for observation after the apnea episode) I started noticing that Shawn would make these strange wheezing, snoring type sounds. One week after his release from the NICU we were back in the Ped ER because I thought the noise I was hearing was wheezing and wanted to make sure it was not pneumonia. The PED ER doctor listened to him for several minutes and determined that this noise he was making was coming from his throat not his lungs and thought that it was because the reflux was as of yet uncontrolled and raised his dosage. Shawn's pediatrician says the same that his lungs are clear and the noise is coming from his throat but really doesn't give me any explanation of why. I don't care for him at all. He blows off all my concerns because Shawn is gaining weight really great. Birthweight 10lbs 3ozs, 11 weeks 18 lbs 3ozs. I am switching him to someone else in the practice for his next appointment. The noise comes and goes and definitely is worse when Shawn is laying on his back. Sometimes it is loud, sometimes it is soft. I hear it several times throughout a day. Okay so finally my question to you is have you brought Laryngomalacia up with your doctor? If it is treated, how? TIA!!

I will pm Minnie for you so she can see this

Hey!:wave: sorry it took me a minute to find this post.


From my understanding laryngomalacia is fairly innocent, and time does the trick to help the noise go away, but if it's coupled with reflux some difficulties with eating can arise like choking, gaging, and coughing.
Usually nothing is done for it, because nothing needs to be done if they are getting enough oxygen. (this is something you would know because the baby would be bluish quite often, if not all the time, especially while sleeping) and even then the child is just given oxygen.
For severe cases in which the laryngomalacia interferes with ventilation enough to impair normal eating, growth, and development, surgery may be needed, but otherwise just tummy sleeping, and treating the reflux (if any) is all that's done

Sometimes if the baby has LPR http://www.entnet.org/KidsENT/LPR.cfm
http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/lpr.php

It can make the larynomalacia worse or maybe it's visa versa, but they both effect each other I think. (this is just me talking)


Eric always sounded congested, like he was snoring even while awake. I would try to suction out his nose all the time, but nothing ever came out even though he sounded like it was just chuck full of snot. His breathing was very loud all the time, and worse while on his back, and during and after eating. He couldn't even pass the hearing screens for the whole first year of his life, because his breathing was louder than the noise they were using. He didn't get an all clear until 14 months old, even though he could hear just fine.
The noise would go away or quiet down from time to time but not on a daily basis, more like
6 months old his noise was quieter and stayed that way, but then came back around 9 months and stuck around till one year, then slowly went away again. I don't think that laryngomalacia is a problem anymore, but I do think it helped his GERD to stick around for longer than expected. He still has noisy breathing from time to time, but I'm sure this is his LPR talking, because it's not as loud and not as chronic and goes right along with bad behavior, poor sleep and all those other wonderful reflux symptoms.

I hope this helped clear things up a little bit for you.

Another thing you can do is put a mirror under your baby's nose to check for air flow when he sounds "stuffed up" if you see good flow chances are your talking floppy air way (AKA laryngomalacia)

Thanks for your quick reply, Minnie. I am wondering about the LPR now because Shawn has apnea and lots of times sounds hoarse as well. When we took him to the ER they said he was hoarse as well. Hmmm....I am so confused. Hopefully the new pediatrician I see will be able to see if she believes it is either one of these. I am taking a print out of details on both when I go.

Thanks again!!!

Just wanted to answer your question on keeping the monitor. Have your ped refer you to an ENT, he will probably insist you stay on the monitor. My former ped wanted Peanut of hers, but her ENT said No!! Make sure that she also refers you to a pulmonologist. They have more of an idea how the whole monitoring goes because of their specialty. Good luck. Sending you much love.

Minnie, you knew I would be reading this one! LMBO

Newbies, welcome, glad you found our site and best wishes