A QUESTION RE NEW BORN BABY TO ANY MIDWIVES!!

[CrazyDi]

I wasnt sure what area to put this question in but was hoping someone would know....I had my baby 5 weeks ago via emergency c-section and ever since birth he has made wierd noises whilst breathing. It sounds like he is gasping for air and is squeaky and loud..the midwife said its something to do with a flap but should go soon. 5 weeks later and its worse...he sounds like he cant breathe but the doctor i saw on monday said his chest etc were all healthy and was a bit puzzled about the noises my baby is making. He said that it could be something to do with his voice box and part of it flapping when he breahes and to keep an eye it doesnt cause him distress...has anyone heard of this / had experience of this before?

sorry if i have posted in the wrong section but this is the only familiar board to me and im a worrying wreck

[jampots]

when my ds was born 3 weeks early he "grunted" but the midwives and paed kept a check on him for the 3 days i was in hosp and said he was fine - it soon went. i would be worried after 5 weeks

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

[lemonice]

Hello crazyDi

I can't help at all I'm afraid - there aren't many people around at the moment, if baby seems otherwise healthy I wouldn't worry yourself too much. But if you are still anxious this week then go back to the gp and tell him how concerned you are.

[bobbybob]

My ds had this, and it was most noticable whilst feeding. it disappeared at around 2-3 months and he is now a very able talker.

[ghosty]

My friends' baby has this. He is about 9 weeks old now. When he was 6 weeks his mum was really worried about it as it seemed to be getting worse but he had a thorough check by a paed who said it was a laryng-a-something-stridor ...
She isn't worried anymore, just knackered because he is so loud she doesn't get any sleep.
She has been assured that he will grow out of it ...
Get him checked out if you are worried though ...

[bobbybob]

It was so loud that Bob ended up being pushed further and further away from our bedroom during the night, all that stuff about keeping them in the same room as you - forget it!

[starlover]

CrazyDi... My DS has this too!

It is called trachea mallacia, or laryngeal mallacia

It is basically a "floppy windpipe", which means that the cartilage that holds the windpipe open is too soft, and the windpipe closes in on itself causing the raspy, squeaky, gasping noises.

Do insist on seeing a paediatrician to rule out anything else, but it sounds EXACTLY like my DS. We ended up taking him to A&E because doctor wouldn't take us seriously.
We have recently been in for overnight monitoring where they check oxygen levels and things to make sure that it is not so severe that his levels are getting too low.

We were told his is moderate.

They DO grow out of it but it can last up to 2 years. On average children with it tend to see an improvement after about 6 months though.

It will get worse before it gets better though, because as they grow and start breathing more deeply, the windpipe will struggle more... but please rest assured that this is not a serious condition. It sounds much worse than it really is.

As long as he is happy and healthy, not having problems feeding etc then he should be fine!

Please feel free to CAT me, or e-mail me at

[email protected]

if you wanna chat more about it!

[starlover]

oh yes, forgot to say it IS a "stridor" as others have mentioned.
This term basically means an obstruction of the airway

[starlover]

i was so excited when i saw this thread... like ooh ooh, i know the answer!

[CrazyDi]

Thanks starlover..youve been a great help!! Its had me up almost every night as I get worried that he will not be able to breathe at all soon!! At least my minds put at ease a bit now! I got even more panicky yesterday as we visited my mums and she spent the whole time staring at my little one with a concerned face telling me is not normal for them to breathe like that!! The worst is that as the noises are getting worse hes not feeding quite as well as he seems to have to eat OR breathe so each feed is taking around 2 hours to get through!! Doctors are monitoring him now though as hes not gaining weight as quickly as he should.

It always feels better when you know your baby isnt the only one!! will definately be mailing you starlover..you will probably end up blocking me due to me being an annoying paranoid pest!!

[starlover]

crazydi... i felt EXACTLY the same. We were out at a friends one night, and her mum and aunt were there and they were just begging me to take him to A&E!!!

Glad that doctors are monitoring your ds now though...
we were told that operating IS an option, but only in very extreme circumstances (ie not being able to feed at all, or stopping breathing completely)

Our ds is now 17 weeks, and it is getting better. I actually panic now when i can't hear him because I think he's stopped breathing!!!
It is incredibly worrying though, and you just feel so awful because you can't do anything to help them!

[vicki21]

Hi crazy di, my son had this when he was born too, it was at its worst at night and when he was feeding...we used to say he sounded like a squeeky wheel!! hes just one now and hasnt done it for ages, cant remember exactly when it stopped but i think he was about 2 months old.