Pam Morrison asks about a baby with noisy and labored respirations,
intermittant low muscle tone and possible poor oxygenation.  This sounds
like Laryngomalacia, Tracheomalacia, or a combination of both,
laryngotracheomalacia.  Low muscle tone causes the larynx or trachea to be
"floppy" during each respiration.  Babies will usually grow out of this
condition but if it is severe enough to be interupting her oxygen flow due
to the flopping causing occlusion, the ENT will often do an ablation
surgery where they trim the larynx or support the airway.  Sometimes they
will to a trach, in very severe cases.
This can be mild, but in this baby's case, I'd be pushing for another ENT
consult.  There is no reason to wait to do a diagnostic scope, this is a
simple procedure done in an office visit, where they pass a tiny fiber
optic scope down the baby's nostril into the back of the throat. It can be
done on day old babies if necessary.  A blue tinge would be very worrisome
to me, personally.
Nancy Holtzman RN BSN
Great Beginnings New Mother's Groups
Boston MA
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