Question: My 5 month’s voice has gone hoarse after a long crying episode. It happened about two days ago and I think his voice sounds raspy now and not as hoarse. He seems to have a hard time making the same high pitched sounds he used to be able to make during spontaneous vocalizations and during vocal play. What should I do, is this kind of hoarseness in infants common? Any help from your specialists would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Answer: Thanks for your question. Hoarseness for infants is not uncommon. It i quite comon for anyone, babies included, to develop hoarseness after vocal abuse. Certainly a long crying episode would fit.
When we breath- our vocal cords open to allow air to pass. When we speak or make noise, the vocal cords come together. They must come together smoothly for us to have a normal voice. However, when we speak loudly, or yell (or cry) – we are often banging the vocal cords together. This causes swelling, so that the closure becomes uneven and we percieve hoarseness. Most often, this is temporary, until the swelling goes down. Sometimes, we can develop a nodule or a polyp from this- which is really like a callus on the vocal cords. This would cause the poor voice to persist.
Using your voice minimally (modified voice rest) would help in the healing process. However, it is really impossible to get your baby to do so.
Almost always, his voice will come back to normal over the next few days or a week. If not, he should have an ear nose and throat doctor take a look at the vocal cords, (laryngoscopy) to make sure there has been no significant damage.
I hope this clears things up.
Robert Pincus MD
Associate Professor Otolaryngology NY Medical College
NY Otolaryngology Group
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, hoarseness in infants after a long crying episode is quite common. Prolonged crying causes vocal cord irritation and swelling, leading to a raspy or hoarse voice that typically resolves within a few days to a week.
Hoarseness after vocal strain, such as intense crying, occurs because the vocal cords repeatedly come together forcefully, causing swelling and uneven closure. This swelling disrupts normal voice production and results in a hoarse or raspy sound.
Typically, an infant's hoarse voice improves and returns to normal within a few days to a week as the swelling on the vocal cords diminishes naturally without intervention.
While uncommon, persistent vocal abuse can sometimes lead to nodules or polyps on the vocal cords, which are like calluses and may cause prolonged hoarseness. If hoarseness lasts longer than a week, it is advisable to consult a specialist.
If your infant's hoarseness persists beyond a week, it is recommended to have an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist evaluate the vocal cords via laryngoscopy to rule out any significant damage or lesions.
While voice rest can aid healing in older individuals, it is almost impossible to get an infant to minimize vocalizations. Fortunately, most infant hoarseness improves without strict voice rest.
