Pediatric Voice Disorders

Many people do not look at childhood voice disorders like noisy breathing or hoarseness as anything serious. Although these disorders may not be life-threatening, they can severely impact the confidence of the child as well as make them feel embarrassed about their voice or cause them to be teased in school. Any type of childhood hoarseness or noisy breathing should be evaluated by a doctor to rule out something serious and plan what can be done to limit the "funny sounds".

Hoarseness in Newborns

• Many babies have a "hoarse" sound when they cry. While this problem may be outgrown, it can also be a sign of a neurological disorder that has recently been acquired since birth. Have your baby evaluated if you notice a hoarse cry to rule out anything serious.

Hoarseness in Young Children

• Children with hoarse voices may acquire them for a variety of reasons. There may be a vocal node present (tissue that grows on the vocal cords), Papilloma (small benign tumor growing in the mouth), acid reflux (when acid from the stomach enters the mouth from an abnormal reaction in the esophagus), or an infection that may need treatment. If you notice any sort of tumor in your child's mouth or throat, it should be checked out right away to rule out anything more serious.

Stridor

• Stridor falls into the category of a voice disorder because the source of your child's noisy breathing may, in fact, be located in his voice box. Stridor is defined as noisy breathing and may be present when the child is simply breathing or only when the child is speaking. Any time you notice stridor, you should get it evaluated by your doctor as this can be a sign of obstruction of the airway or difficulty breathing.

What to Expect

• If you take your child to be evaluated, you can expect that your child will receive a general exam at your pediatrician's office. Your doctor may perform a biopsy on any tumor found that may be affecting the voice. If the tumor is benign or there is no tumor present, your child may be referred to a pediatric otolaryngologist or laryngologist in order to receive further evaluation and create a course of action for treatment.

Treatment

• Sometimes surgery will be necessary to remove the benign tumor or vocal node. This may correct the problem entirely, but in other cases, vocal therapy is needed. In vocal therapy, children will learn different ways to make sounds so that their voice does not sound hoarse or breathy. Most vocal therapists include games and other activities so that the children are able to have fun while learning to speak correctly.