Treating hoarseness in the baby can be done with simple measures such as comforting the baby when he is crying heavily and offering plenty of fluids during the day, as excessive and prolonged crying is one of the main causes of hoarseness in the baby.
However, hoarseness in the baby can also be a symptom of infections, usually respiratory, or other diseases such as reflux, allergies or nodules in the vocal cords, for example, and in these cases the treatment should be guided by the pediatrician or otorhinolaryngologist, usually involves the use of medication or treatment with speech therapy.
1. Excessive and prolonged crying
This is the most common cause and it happens because excessive and prolonged crying can put pressure on the vocal chords, making the voice more hoarse and rough.
How to treat: stop the baby crying, comforting and offering enough liquids like milk, especially if you are breastfeeding, water and natural juices, which should not be too cold or too hot.
2. Gastroesophageal reflux
How to treat: Consult your pediatrician or otolaryngologist to guide your treatment that may involve only a few precautions such as using a shim under the bed mattress and avoiding the baby in the first 20 to 30 minutes after meals, or using medicines, if necessary, prescribed by the pediatrician.Learn more in: How to care for the baby with reflux.
Reflux which is the passage of food or acid from the stomach into the esophagus can also be a cause of hoarseness in the baby, but with treatment and decreased reflux, hoarseness disappears.
3. Virus infection
The hoarse voice in the baby often occurs due to a virus infection, such as an influenza, cold or laryngitis, for example. However, in these cases, hoarseness is temporary and usually goes away when the infection is treated.
How to treat: Consult your pediatrician or otolaryngologist to prescribe antibiotics or antiviral medicines, depending on the cause of the infection. Also, prevent your child from crying and offering plenty of liquids, neither too cold nor too hot.
4. Respiratory allergy
In some cases, hoarseness in the baby can be caused by irritants in the air such as dust, pollen, or hairs, for example that cause allergy of the respiratory tract and hence hoarse voice.
How to treat: Avoid exposing the baby to allergens such as dust, pollen or hairs, cleaning baby's nose with saline or nebulisers, and offering plenty of fluids during the day. The pediatrician or otolaryngologist may also prescribe antihistamine and corticoid remedies if the symptom does not improve. See other precautions for: Rhinitis in the baby.
5. Nodules in the vocal cords
The nodules in the vocal cords consist of the thickening of the vocal cords and are therefore similar to callus. They are caused by tissue overload during excessive use of the voice, such as excessive crying or crying and prolonged.
How to treat: consult a speech therapist to do voice therapy, which consists of education and training of the care of the voice. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove the nodules.
Home remedy for hoarseness in baby
A great home remedy for hoarseness is ginger tea, as this medicinal plant has an action that relieves irritation of the vocal cords, as well as possessing antimicrobial property that helps eliminate microorganisms that may be causing an infection, for example.
However, this remedy should only be used on infants over 8 months of age and with the permission of the pediatrician, since ginger may be aggressive to the stomach.
Ingredients
- 2 cm ginger;
- 1 cup boiling water.
Method of preparation
Lightly crush the ginger or make a few cuts on its sides. Then add in the cup of boiling water and let it stand for 10 minutes. Finally, when the tea is slightly warm, give 1 to 2 tablespoons for the baby to drink.
This medicine can be repeated 2 to 3 times a day, according to the pediatrician's instructions.
When to go to the doctor
It is important to consult the pediatrician or otorhinolaryngologist in cases in which:
- the baby in addition to hoarseness, drool or have difficulty breathing;
- the baby is less than 3 months old;
- the hoarseness does not go away in 3 to 5 days.
In these cases, the doctor indicates the tests to identify the cause, make the diagnosis and guide the appropriate treatment.
