Stridor in Babies: Noisy Breathing Causes & When to Worry | Parenting…
Stridor is a harsh noise when baby breathes in. Learn the difference from snuffles, when laryngomalacia is the cause, and when it's urgent.
Noisy breathing in newborns is often a soft, floppy voice box (laryngomalacia) that outgrows by 18 months. But sudden or harsh stridor always needs urgent care.
What stridor sounds like
Stridor is a harsh, high-pitched sound heard mainly when baby breathes in. It comes from the upper airway (voice box or windpipe) — different from wheezing, which is heard breathing out from the chest.
Laryngomalacia — the common cause
Around half of noisy newborns have laryngomalacia — the tissues above the voice box are soft and floppy, partly collapsing when they breathe in. It's worse when baby is on their back, feeding or upset, and better when prone or settled.
Most babies outgrow it by 12–18 months. If baby is feeding well and growing, no treatment is needed — just regular review with your GP.
When stridor is urgent
Sudden stridor or worsening stridor with effort needs same-day or emergency care.
- Croup — barking cough with stridor, usually overnight
- Inhaled object — sudden choke followed by stridor
- Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) — stridor with swelling or rash
- Epiglottitis — very rare since vaccination; drooling, sitting forward, high fever
What to do
All babies with stridor need a GP review to confirm the cause. Babies with mild laryngomalacia are reviewed regularly to check feeding and growth.
If stridor is sudden, getting louder, or baby is struggling — call 000.
When to seek urgent care
Stridor at rest, baby working hard to breathe, drooling and unable to swallow, blue lips, drowsy or sudden onset — emergency department or call 000.
When to seek help
- Stridor at rest (not just when upset or feeding)
- Sudden onset, especially after choking episode
- Drooling, unable to swallow, sitting forward
- Blue lips, drowsy, or working hard to breathe
- Rash or swelling alongside stridor
Common questions
Is laryngomalacia dangerous?
Most cases are mild and outgrown by 18 months. Severe cases — affecting feeding, weight gain or oxygen — need specialist review.
What's the difference between stridor and snoring?
Snoring is a soft rumbling sound during sleep from the nose or throat. Stridor is harsh and high-pitched, heard when breathing in, and persists when baby is awake.