BackTable / ENT / Podcast / Episode #141
Stridor in Newborns: Evaluation & Management
with Dr. Briac Thierry
In this episode of BackTable ENT, Dr. Gopi Shah and Dr. Briac Thierry, Pediatric ENT at Necker Hospital for Sick Children in Paris, France, review stridor in newborns, with a special emphasis on laryngomalacia.
Be part of the conversation. Put your sponsored messaging on this episode. Learn how.

BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2023, November 7). Ep. 141 – Stridor in Newborns: Evaluation & Management [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com
Free CME
Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn free AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs. Follow the button below to claim your credits on CMEfy.
Stay Up To Date
Follow:
Subscribe:
Sign Up:
Podcast Contributors
Dr. Briac Thierry
Dr. Briac Thierry is an ENT surgeon with APHP in Paris, France.
Dr. Gopi Shah
Dr. Gopi Shah is a practicing ENT at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX.
Show Notes
First, Briac and Gopi discuss how a newborn with stridor can present. Though stridor does occur among NICU babies, most of Briac’s patients are referred by outpatient pediatricians. They discuss a list of questions to ask while taking a history and emphasize the importance of assessing growth trends. In the absence of other medical problems, declining weight can suggest severe aerodigestive tract abnormality. Any pathology that narrows the airway can cause stridor: in infants, these include laryngomalacia, vallecular cysts, subglottic cysts, tracheal rings, and bilateral vocal fold immobility.
Then, Briac talks listeners through his physical exam, with special attention paid to flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Briac shares his tips to maximize visualization and clinician ergonomics when scoping a small child. If bilateral vocal fold immobility is suspected, Briac recommends performing a longer fiberoptic exam so that the clinician can determine whether vocal fold immobility is present at rest or due to an uncomfortable child crying.
Next, Gopi and Briac differentiate between mild, moderate, and severe laryngomalacia and the indications for going to the operating room for an airway evaluation. As 20% of children with laryngomalacia have secondary airway lesions, a meticulous laryngoscopy/bronchoscopy is mandatory in these patients when a trip to the OR is required. Moving to the OR, Briac talks about his workflow when performing diagnostic bronchoscopy/laryngoscopy (DLB) to assess various causes of stridor. The episode concludes with Briac’s meditations on airway surgery as a team endeavor.
Resources
Briac’s Necker Hospital Profile:
https://www.aphp.fr/offre-de-soin/medecin/3168653/061/16
International Pediatric ORL Group (IPOG) Laryngomalacia Consensus Recommendations:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165587616300519
Pediatric Airway Channel in Paris (@voies_aeriennes):
https://www.youtube.com/@voies_aeriennes
Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.