Why Is My Baby Making an Unusual Sound?

Babies make many unusual sounds because their airways are small, their breathing and digestion are still maturing, and they communicate through noises before they can use words. Grunts, squeaks, snorts, gurgles and brief high-pitched sounds may be normal, particularly during sleep, feeding, stretching or passing wind.

The sound matters less than how your baby looks and behaves while making it. A baby who remains a normal colour, breathes comfortably, feeds well and is alert at their usual times is generally reassuring. A sound accompanied by difficult breathing, blue or grey colour, unusual sleepiness, poor feeding or signs of illness needs prompt medical assessment.

Why babies can be surprisingly noisy

Newborns do not breathe as quietly or regularly as older children and adults. Their narrow nasal passages can make a small amount of mucus sound loud. They may also briefly pause, then take several quicker breaths, especially during sleep. Their digestive system creates another collection of noises as milk, wind and stools move through the gut.

Babies also experiment with their voices. As they grow, coos may become squeals, growls, raspberries and excited shrieks. If your baby is comfortable and the new noise appears during social play, it may simply be part of learning to communicate.

Common unusual baby sounds

Grunting

Many babies grunt while stretching, passing wind or having a bowel movement. Young babies are still learning to coordinate abdominal pressure with relaxing the pelvic floor, so they may turn red, squirm and grunt even when their stool is soft.

Occasional grunting during sleep can also occur. However, grunting with most breaths, especially with nostril flaring, chest pulling in or rapid breathing, can be a sign that breathing is difficult and needs urgent assessment.

Snorting, snuffling and nasal whistles

Babies mostly breathe through their noses, and their nasal passages are tiny. Dried mucus, milk near the back of the nose or a mild cold may cause snuffles and whistles. If your baby seems comfortable, you can try saline nose drops and gently clear visible mucus. Avoid inserting cotton buds or other objects into the nostrils.

If congestion interferes with feeding, offer smaller, more frequent feeds and seek advice. Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke, vaping aerosols, fragrances and other airway irritants.

Squeaking or a high-pitched noise when breathing in

A repeated squeak during inhalation is sometimes called stridor. In young babies, one possible cause is laryngomalacia, where soft tissue above the voice box briefly falls inward during breathing. It may sound louder when a baby is feeding, crying or lying flat.

A clinician should assess persistent noisy inhalation rather than parents trying to diagnose it from the sound alone. Seek help sooner if feeding is difficult, weight gain is a concern, the skin pulls in around the ribs or neck, or your baby has pauses in breathing or colour changes.

Wheezing

A wheeze is usually a musical or whistling sound when breathing out. Viral illnesses may cause wheezing, but congestion in the nose or throat can sound similar. Any first episode of suspected wheezing should be discussed with a health professional, particularly in a young baby. Urgent care is needed if your baby is working hard to breathe.

Gurgling, gulping or clicking during feeds

Gulping can happen with a fast milk flow. Clicking may mean your baby is repeatedly losing suction at the breast or bottle. Pause to let your baby breathe, keep them supported and more upright, and follow their cues rather than encouraging them to finish a feed.

If clicking is frequent or accompanied by coughing, choking, milk leaking from the mouth, long feeds, breast or nipple pain, or poor growth, ask your maternal health nurse, midwife, GP or an IBCLC to observe a feed. Our baby hub offers more guidance about everyday baby care, and the breastfeeding hub can help with positioning and attachment.

Hiccups, burps and digestive noises

Hiccups are common and usually harmless. They often stop without treatment and may not bother your baby at all. Burps and tummy gurgles are also expected as babies swallow air and digest milk. You do not need to force a burp if your baby is settled.

Back arching, crying or gulping may sometimes occur around milk coming back up. Speak with a health professional if your baby appears distressed, regularly refuses feeds, vomits forcefully, has green or bloody vomit, or is not growing as expected.

Sounds during sleep

Babies can whimper, groan, squeak, sigh and briefly cry while asleep. Active sleep is often noisy and includes facial movements and irregular breathing. Pause before picking your baby up; they may still be asleep and settle without help.

Always place your baby on their back on a firm, flat sleep surface, with their face and head uncovered. Do not use sleep positioners or incline the mattress to treat noisy breathing or reflux.

What to notice about the sound

A short recording can help a clinician understand an intermittent sound, but do not delay seeking help to make one. Note:

• Timing: Does it happen during feeding, sleep, crying, movement or every breath?
• Breathing: Is your baby's breathing comfortable, or are the ribs, breastbone or skin above the collarbones pulling inward?
• Colour: Are the lips, tongue and skin their usual colour?
• Feeding: Can your baby coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing?
• Behaviour: Is your baby responsive and waking as usual?
• Other symptoms: Is there fever, cough, vomiting, fewer wet nappies or a change from your baby's normal pattern?

Trust your knowledge of your baby. Even if a sound is difficult to describe, a clear change in breathing, feeding or behaviour deserves attention.

What you can safely do at home

If your baby is otherwise well, stay close and observe them calmly. Hold them upright during and after feeds if that seems comfortable, offer pauses during feeding, and respond to early hunger and stopping cues. Saline drops may help loosen nasal mucus.

Do not give cough or cold medicines, essential oils or medicated nasal products unless a qualified clinician specifically recommends them for your baby. Avoid trying to inspect the throat or remove something you cannot clearly see. If you suspect choking and your baby cannot breathe or cry effectively, call emergency services and begin age-appropriate first aid if you know how.

When to seek help

Call emergency services now if your baby has blue, grey or very pale lips, tongue or skin; is struggling to breathe; has severe pulling in around the ribs or neck; cannot cry or make an effective sound; has repeated or prolonged pauses in breathing; becomes floppy, unresponsive or difficult to wake; or you suspect choking.

Seek urgent same-day medical advice if your baby is grunting with each breath, has persistent stridor or wheezing, is breathing much faster than usual, cannot feed normally because of breathing difficulty, has fewer wet nappies, repeatedly coughs or chokes during feeds, or has a sudden unexplained change in their cry or breathing sounds.

A baby younger than three months with a temperature of 38°C or higher needs urgent medical assessment. Seek urgent advice at any age if your baby has a fever and looks very unwell, has a seizure, develops a non-blanching rash, or you are seriously worried.

For a sound that persists, recurs or concerns you, contact your maternal health nurse, midwife, GP or paediatric clinician. Feeding-related noises can also be assessed by an IBCLC. If symptoms are severe or worsening, contact emergency services rather than waiting for a routine appointment.