Tracheomalacia (tray-key-oh-muh-LAY-shuh) is a condition in which the windpipe (trachea) collapses during breathing. This happens because the cartilage (strong, flexible tissue) in the windpipe is not shaped normally, making it weak or floppy. Babies and kids with tracheomalacia may have noisy breathing, coughing, or trouble feeding.

The treatment for tracheomalacia depends on how severe it is. It may include humidified air, medicines, or other treatments. In most children, tracheomalacia gets better by 3 years of age.

Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations for:

• Giving your child any medicines
• Using an inhaler or nebulizer (a device that turns medicine into a mist that your child can breathe in)
• Giving your child oxygen or any breathing support, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
• Using a pulse oximeter (machine that checks oxygen levels)
• Doing chest physiotherapy (breathing exercises and other techniques to clear the mucus in the lungs)
• Any immunizations (vaccines) that your child may need (along with routine immunizations)
• Making an appointment with a pulmonologist (a doctor who specializes in problems with the lungs and airways)
• When to follow up

Comforting your child:

Your child's symptoms may get worse when they cry, feed, cough, are active, or have a cold or other infection. Try:

• Holding and comforting your child to calm them
• Having them take a break from feeding or the activity that is making the symptoms worse
• Distracting your child with a quiet activity
• Helping your child sit or lie in a position that eases the symptoms
• Following your healthcare provider's instructions for treating any illnesses or infections

Your child:

• Has breathing that is noisier or faster than usual
• Isn't eating as much as usual
• Has a lower oxygen level or higher heart rate than usual on the pulse oximeter (if using)
• Has symptoms of a new infection, such as a runny nose, cough, or fever

• There are long pauses in your child's breathing.
• Your child is struggling to breathe or turns blue.

You know your child best. If they have symptoms that worry you or seem very sick, call your healthcare provider or take your child to the ER.

Who gets tracheomalacia? Some babies are born with tracheomalacia. Babies who are born early (premature) can have tracheomalacia because the cartilage in their trachea is weak and not yet fully developed. Kids who need to have a tube in their throat to help them breathe can develop tracheomalacia. Also, infections of the trachea and other medical problems, such as gastroesophageal reflux (when stomach contents back up into the esophagus), can lead to tracheomalacia.

What problems can happen with tracheomalacia? It depends on how severe it is. Tracheomalacia often gets better as a baby grows. But in some kids, it can lead to lung and airway infections, problems breathing during exercise, and poor growth. If needed, there are treatments that can help, such as a machine that pushes air into the airway (CPAP) and surgery.