Age features of the larynx
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The larynx of the newborn has a relatively large size. It is short, broad, funnel-shaped, located higher (at the level of II-IV vertebrae) than in an adult. The hyoid bone is high (at level II of the cervical vertebra) and almost touches the thyroid cartilage, the plates of which are located at an obtuse angle to each other. The laryngeal protrusion is absent. The longitudinal larynx of the larynx in the newborn is strongly recurved and forms with the trachea an obtuse angle open to the back, which is important to consider when intubation. Due to the high location of the larynx in newborns and infants, the epiglottis is slightly higher than the root of the tongue, so when swallowing the food lump (fluid) passes the epiglottis laterally along the pear-shaped pockets of the throat part of the pharynx. As a result, the child can breathe and swallow (drink) at the same time, which is important in the act of sucking.
The larynx rapidly increases during the first four years of a child's life. During puberty (after 10-12 years), active growth starts again, which lasts up to 25 years for men and up to 22-23 years for women. Together with the growth of the larynx in childhood (it gradually descends), the distance between its upper edge and the hyoid bone increases. By the age of 7, the lower edge of the larynx is at the level of the upper edge of the sixth cervical vertebra. The longitudinal axis of the larynx occupies an upright position. The position, typical for an adult, the larynx takes after 17-20 years.
The entrance to the larynx of a newborn is wider than that of an adult. The threshold is short, so the voice gap is high. The voice gap has a length of 6.5 mm (3 times shorter than that of an adult). The intermiscal and interchondral parts are almost equal in length (3.5 and 3 mm). The voice gap increases markedly in the first 3 years of the child's life, and then during puberty. Elastic cone of larynx narrow, short. The height of the newborn is 9-10 mm. Muscles of the larynx in the newborn and in childhood are poorly developed. The most intensive growth is observed during puberty.
The cartilage of the larynx of the newborn is thin, with age become thicker, but for a long time retain their flexibility. In the elderly and senile age, in the cartilages of the larynx, besides the epiglottis, calcium salts are deposited; the cartilages partially ossified, become brittle and brittle.
Sexual differences in the larynx at an early age are not observed. In the future, the growth of the larynx in boys is somewhat faster than in girls. After 6-7 years, the larynx of boys is larger than that of girls of the same age. At 10-12 years, the laryngeal prominence of the boys becomes noticeable. During puberty, the size of the larynx, the length of the vocal cords in boys is greater than that of girls.
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