• Skip to main content
Search
  • Home
  • Services
      • Behavioral Health
      • Bloodless Medicine
      • Brain & Spine
      • Cancer Care
      • Ear, Nose and Throat
      • Emergency Care
      • Geriatric Care
      • Heart & Vascular Care
      • Home Health Care
      • Medical Imaging
      • Minimally Invasive Surgery
      • Orthopedics
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Rehabilitation Services
      • Weight Loss Surgery
      • Wound Healing & Care
      • Women's Health
  • Doctors
      • Find a Primary Care Doctor
      • Find a Doctor
      • Physician Referral
      • Practices:

        Baptist Primary Care
      • Baptist AgeWell
      • Baptist Behavioral Health
      • Baptist Endocrinology
      • Baptist ENT Specialists
      • Baptist Heart Specialists
      • Baptist Infectious Diseases
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Physicians
      • Baptist Neurology
      • Baptist Pulmonary Specialists (Nassau)
      • Baptist Rheumatology
      • Baptist Urology Group (Nassau)
      • Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute
      • Lyerly Neurosurgery
  • Locations
    • Our Hospitals:

      • Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
      • Baptist Medical Center South
      • Baptist Medical Center Beaches
      • Baptist Medical Center Nassau
      • Baptist Heart Hospital
      • Wolfson Children's Hospital

      Imaging Centers:

      • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
      • Mammography and Bone Density
      • Medical Imaging

      Freestanding Emergency Centers:

      • Baptist Emergency at Clay
      • Baptist Emergency at North
      • Baptist Emergency at Town Center

      Urgent Care Locations:

      • Baptist Health Clinics at Walgreens
      • CareSpot Urgent Care

      Health & Wellness:

      • 4her Center for Women
      • JCA Wellness Connexion
      • Y Healthy Living Centers

      Outpatient Locations:

      • AgeWell Center for Senior Health
      • Baptist Clay Medical Campus
      • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center
      • Baptist Neurodiagnostic Center
      • Baptist North Medical Campus
      • Cardiac Testing Centers
      • Hill Breast Center
      • Infusion Center
      • Pharmacy
      • Rehabilitation Centers
      • Robotic Spine Surgery
      • Sleep Centers
      • Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center
      • Surgery Centers
      • Wound Care
  • Patient Info
      • Billing & Insurance Information
      • Insurance Plans Accepted
      • Cost Estimate Request
      • Financial Assistance Program
      • My Baptist Connect (Patient Portal)
      • Medical Records
      • Classes and Events
      • Clinical Trials
      • Tell Us What You Think
  • Health Library
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Symptoms
      • Tests
      • Surgeries and Procedures
      • Injuries
      • Nutrition
      • Poison
      • Drug Information
      • Drug Images
      • Health News
      • Video Library
  • About Us
      • Administration
      • Awards & Honors
      • Careers
      • Provider Opportunities
      • Baptist MD Anderson Provider Opportunities
      • Spiritual Care
      • Social Responsibility
      • Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)
      • Corporate Wellness (PATH)
      • Volunteering
      • Newsroom
  • Juice
      • Health News Overview:

      • Brain, Spine & Nerve
      • Cancer
      • Child Health
      • Community Health
      • Heart & Vascular
      • Mental Health
      • Orthopedics, Bones & Muscles
      • Pregnancy & Childbirth
      • Primary Care
      • Wellness
      • Women's Health
  1. Home
  2. Health Library
  3. Diseases and Conditions
  4. Tracheomalacia - congenital

Tracheomalacia - congenital

Diseases and Conditions
Type 1 tracheomalacia

Congenital tracheomalacia is weakness and floppiness of the walls of the windpipe (trachea). Congenital means it is present at birth.

Tracheomalacia in a newborn occurs when the cartilage in the windpipe has not developed properly. Instead of being rigid, the walls of the trachea are floppy. Because the windpipe is the main airway, breathing problems begin soon after birth.

Congenital tracheomalacia is very uncommon.

Symptoms

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Symptoms may include:

  • Breathing noises that may change with position and improve during sleep
  • Breathing problems that get worse with coughing, crying, feeding, or upper respiratory infections (such as cold)
  • High-pitched breathing
  • Rattling or noisy breaths

Exams and Tests

A physical exam confirms the symptoms. A chest x-ray will be done to rule out other problems. The x-ray may show narrowing of the trachea when breathing in.

A procedure called laryngoscopy provides the most reliable diagnosis. In this procedure, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT) will look at the structure of the airway and determine how severe the problem is.

Other tests may include:

  • Airway fluoroscopy -- a kind of x-ray that shows the images on a screen
  • Barium swallow
  • Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to see the airways and lungs
  • CT scan
  • Lung function tests
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment

Most infants respond well to humidified air, careful feedings, and antibiotics for infections. Babies with tracheomalacia must be closely monitored when they have respiratory infections.

Often, the symptoms of tracheomalacia improve as the infant grows.

Rarely, surgery is needed.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Congenital tracheomalacia most often goes away on its own by the age of 18 to 24 months. As the cartilage gets stronger and the trachea grows, the noisy and difficult breathing slowly improves. People with tracheomalacia must be monitored closely when they have respiratory infections.

Possible Complications

Babies born with tracheomalacia may have other congenital abnormalities, such as heart defects, developmental delay, or gastroesophageal reflux.

Aspiration pneumonia can occur from inhaling food into the lungs or windpipe.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if your child has breathing difficulties or noisy breathing. Tracheomalacia can become an urgent or emergency condition.

References

Finder, JD. Bronchomalacia and tracheomalacia. In: Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, St. Geme JW, Schor NF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 389.

Nelson M, Green G, Ohye RG. Pediatric tracheal anomalies. In: Flint PW, Haughey BH, Lund V, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 206.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 5/14/2017

Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

 
 
 

 

 

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.
Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Fire Fox and Google Chrome browser.

Daily Health and Medical News

Results for breathing, congenital, tracheomalacia, tracheomalacia - congenital, type

  • Millions of Americans Still Breathing Secondhand Smoke: Report
    December 06, 2018

  • AHA: New Report Explores Genes Behind Congenital Heart Disease
    September 27, 2018

  • Experimental Drug Helps Women With Deadly Type of Breast Cancer
    February 20, 2019

  • Walnuts, Almonds Help the Hearts of Those With Type 2 Diabetes
    February 19, 2019

  • AHA News: Pregnancy May Raise Risk of Deadliest Type of Stroke
    February 08, 2019

© Copyright 2019 | All Rights Reserved

If you speak another language, assistance services
free of charge, are available to you.

Baptist Health Facebook Baptist Health Twitter Baptist Health on LinkedIn Baptist Health on Instagram Baptist Health on Youtube
Physician Login | Application Login | Employee Login
Quality Measures | Privacy | Non-Discrimination | Comments | Site Map