Recovery & Support for Stridor in Children

Often, children with stridor—wheezy, noisy breathing that results from a partially obstructed airway—recover immediately after treatment and don’t need additional medical care. For example, a child with croup typically recovers within days of taking steroid medication. A child who has had an object removed from the airway or lungs usually feels better immediately.

If treatment includes observation, or if your child has surgery, specialists at the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone,  provide follow-up care to ensure that your child continues to breathe easily. Child and family support services and resilience programs provided by Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care ensure your family is supported during treatment and recovery.

Follow-Up Exams

If your child was diagnosed with laryngomalacia or mild subglottic stenosis, conditions that lead to a narrowing of the airway, the doctor may recommend simply observing your child as he or she grows. In that case, the doctor schedules regular follow-up appointments to monitor your child’s breathing. Your physician may listen to the lungs using a stethoscope, an instrument used to amplify the sound of breathing, or perform a laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy to get a close look at the airway.

Should the narrowing worsen, our pediatricians may recommend surgery to help your child breathe better.

If a doctor performs surgery to widen your child’s airway, he or she sees your child frequently in the months after the procedure to ensure that the airway remains open. As your child grows, doctors schedule follow-up appointments less frequently. If stridor returns at any time, a doctor should evaluate your child immediately.