Airway and breathing disorders affect the way your child breathes, eats and sleeps.

These problems often involve the:

• Trachea (windpipe): The tube that carries air from the nose and mouth to the lungs
• Esophagus (food tube): The tube that carries food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach
• Larynx (voice box): The part of the throat that helps you speak, swallow and breathe

When these parts don’t work well together, it can make basic things like breathing and speaking difficult.

Some kids with airway and breathing disorders may have symptoms like:

• Noisy breathing (including stridor)
• Frequent coughing
• Trouble eating or swallowing
• Poor weight gain or growth
• Food or liquid going down the wrong way (aspiration)
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Ongoing or repeated lung infections (like pneumonia)
• Breathing pauses during sleep
• Snoring or restless sleep
• Voice changes or a weak cry
• Choking while eating

Many of these problems can cause serious health issues. They can affect sleep or cause repeat hospital stays.

Airway and breathing disorders can be:

• Structural, meaning a part grew the wrong shape.
• Functional, meaning the parts don’t work the way they should.

These disorders often make it hard for kids to keep up with daily life. Your child may not be able to eat with the family, run with friends or sleep through the night. We’re here to help find answers and create a plan that helps your child breathe, grow and feel better.

Some kids are born with differences in their airway. Others may develop breathing problems over time.

Common airway and breathing disorders we treat include:

• Airway obstruction: A blockage in the breathing passages. Obstruction can make breathing noisy or difficult.
• Laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia: Parts of the airway are too soft or floppy. This can lead to noisy breathing, feeding issues or frequent infections.
• Tracheal stenosis: The windpipe is too narrow. It can cause severe breathing problems.
• Tracheal atresia: The windpipe doesn’t connect to the lungs. It can cause severe breathing problems.
• Tracheoesophageal fistula: An abnormal connection between the windpipe and the food pipe. This can cause choking, coughing or trouble eating.
• Esophageal atresia: The food pipe does not connect to the stomach. It can be hard or impossible to swallow or eat normally.
• Vascular rings and pulmonary slings: These are abnormal blood vessels that wrap around the windpipe or esophagus. They can make it hard to breathe or swallow.
• Obstructive sleep apnea: The airway gets blocked during sleep. It causes snoring, pauses in breathing and poor sleep.
• Enlarged tonsils or adenoids: These can block the airway. They make it hard for your child to breathe through the nose or sleep well.

We work with you to find the cause of your child’s symptoms and choose the best care plan.

What Are Foreign Bodies in the Airway

Not all airway problems are congenital differences or health issues. Sometimes, your child may inhale a small object or piece of food.

This can block the airway and cause an emergency, called choking. This can cause serious breathing problems. It may lead to suffocation or death if not treated right away.

Kids younger than 5 years old are most at risk, especially between 7 months and 4 years. During these years, kids often explore the world by putting things in their mouths.

Your child may choke while eating, playing or chewing on something small. The object can get stuck in the windpipe and block airflow. Food items like grapes, popcorn, hot dogs and nuts are common choking hazards. So are small toys, buttons and pebbles.

Signs your child may have inhaled something include:

• Sudden choking or gagging
• Coughing or wheezing
• Trouble breathing or speaking
• High-pitched breathing sounds (stridor)
• A cough that gets worse
• Hoarse voice or pain when breathing
• Blue lips or skin
• Loss of consciousness

Even if symptoms seem to go away, the object may still be stuck. Your child should see a doctor right away if you suspect they inhaled something. If your child can’t breathe or speak, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Your child’s care plan will depend on their specific condition. Some problems may get better with medicine or therapy. Others may need surgery.

Our team will work with you to create a plan that helps your child breathe, sleep, eat and grow as safely as possible.

We offer the following treatments and procedures:

• Foreign body removal: If your child inhales or swallows something that gets stuck in the airway, we can remove it. This is often done using a scope while your child is under anesthesia.
• Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: Enlarged tonsils or adenoids can block airflow. Surgery to remove these tissues can help them breathe easier, especially during sleep.
• Sleep apnea therapies: We offer CPAP machines, special sleep positioning and surgery when needed. These help keep your child’s airway open while they sleep.
• Tracheostomy: In some cases, a tracheostomy (a small tube placed in the neck) can help your child breathe. This may be short-term or long-term.
• Airway reconstruction: Advanced surgical procedures to rebuild or widen the airway. Used for kids with severe airway narrowing or malformations.

We’ll help you learn about each step of treatment and support your family along the way.