Laryngomalacia Study

Summary

Noisy breathing is commonly caused by a floppy voicebox which is a condition called laryngomalacia. The cause of laryngomalacia is not fully understood, but some studies have suggested that it could be due to acid escaping from the stomach and spreading up the swallowing passage to the throat (acid reflux). This affects about 1 in 100 newborns and is therefore one of the most common reasons for infants to see Otolaryngologists at BC Children's Hospital (BCCH). These infants can have a spectrum of distressing symptoms including squeaky breathing, choking, difficulty feeding, failure to gain weight, and episodes of turning blue (due to lack of oxygen). At present, Otolaryngologists at BCCH will sometimes give children with laryngomalacia medication to reduce the amount of acid they make in their stomachs, in the hope that this will reduce their symptoms of laryngomalacia. It has never been scientifically confirmed whether anti-reflux medication will benefit these children any more than doing nothing at all.

Timeline

Start

2013-02

Primary completion

2015-07

Completion

2015-07

Publications

• Background Zoumalan R, Maddalozzo J, Holinger LD. Etiology of stridor in infants. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2007 May;116(5):329-34. doi: 10.1177/000348940711600503.
• Background Hartl TT, Chadha NK. A systematic review of laryngomalacia and acid reflux. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Oct;147(4):619-26. doi: 10.1177/0194599812452833. Epub 2012 Jun 27.
• Background Vandenplas Y, Rudolph CD, Di Lorenzo C, Hassall E, Liptak G, Mazur L, Sondheimer J, Staiano A, Thomson M, Veereman-Wauters G, Wenzl TG, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition. Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux clinical practice guidelines: joint recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Oct;49(4):498-547. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e3181b7f563.
• Background Giannoni C, Sulek M, Friedman EM, Duncan NO 3rd. Gastroesophageal reflux association with laryngomalacia: a prospective study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 1998 Feb;43(1):11-20. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5876(97)00151-1.
• Background Matthews BL, Little JP, Mcguirt WF Jr, Koufman JA. Reflux in infants with laryngomalacia: results of 24-hour double-probe pH monitoring. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999 Jun;120(6):860-4. doi: 10.1016/S0194-5998(99)70327-X.
• Background Olney DR, Greinwald JH Jr, Smith RJ, Bauman NM. Laryngomalacia and its treatment. Laryngoscope. 1999 Nov;109(11):1770-5. doi: 10.1097/00005537-199911000-00009.
• Background Thompson DM. Abnormal sensorimotor integrative function of the larynx in congenital laryngomalacia: a new theory of etiology. Laryngoscope. 2007 Jun;117(6 Pt 2 Suppl 114):1-33. doi: 10.1097/MLG.0b013e31804a5750.
• Background Thompson DM. Laryngomalacia: factors that influence disease severity and outcomes of management. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010 Dec;18(6):564-70. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e3283405e48.
• Background Lee KS, Chen BN, Yang CC, Chen YC. CO2 laser supraglottoplasty for severe laryngomalacia: a study of symptomatic improvement. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 Jun;71(6):889-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2007.02.010. Epub 2007 Apr 9.
• Background Milczuk HA, Johnson SM. Effect on families and caregivers of caring for a child with laryngomalacia. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2000 Apr;109(4):348-54. doi: 10.1177/000348940010900402.
• Background Kleinman L, Rothman M, Strauss R, Orenstein SR, Nelson S, Vandenplas Y, Cucchiara S, Revicki DA. The infant gastroesophageal reflux questionnaire revised: development and validation as an evaluative instrument. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006 May;4(5):588-96. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2006.02.016.
• Background Belafsky PC, Postma GN, Koufman JA. The validity and reliability of the reflux finding score (RFS). Laryngoscope. 2001 Aug;111(8):1313-7. doi: 10.1097/00005537-200108000-00001.
• Background Higginbotham TW. Effectiveness and safety of proton pump inhibitors in infantile gastroesophageal reflux disease. Ann Pharmacother. 2010 Mar;44(3):572-6. doi: 10.1345/aph.1M519. Epub 2010 Feb 2.
• Background Nussbaum E. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy and laryngoscopy in children under 2 years of age: diagnostic and therapeutic applications of a new pediatric flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. Crit Care Med. 1982 Nov;10(11):770-2. doi: 10.1097/00003246-198211000-00016.
• Background Fan LL, Flynn JW. Laryngoscopy in neonates and infants: experience with the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. Laryngoscope. 1981 Mar;91(3):451-6. doi: 10.1288/00005537-198103000-00016.
• Background Little JP, Matthews BL, Glock MS, Koufman JA, Reboussin DM, Loughlin CJ, McGuirt WF Jr. Extraesophageal pediatric reflux: 24-hour double-probe pH monitoring of 222 children. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl. 1997 Jul;169:1-16.
• Background Pontes P, Tiago R. Diagnosis and management of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006 Jun;14(3):138-42. doi: 10.1097/01.moo.0000193193.09602.51.
• Background Stavroulaki P. Diagnostic and management problems of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2006 Apr;70(4):579-90. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2005.10.021. Epub 2005 Dec 15.

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Indications