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Age-related features of the larynx
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
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The larynx of a newborn is comparatively large. It is short, wide, funnel-shaped, and located higher (at the level of the II-IV vertebrae) than in an adult. The hyoid bone is located high (at the level of the II cervical vertebra) and almost touches the thyroid cartilage, the plates of which are located at an obtuse angle to each other. The protrusion of the larynx is absent. The longitudinal spine of the larynx in a newborn is strongly deviated backwards and forms an obtuse angle with the trachea, open backwards, which is important to consider during intubation. Due to the high position of the larynx in newborns and infants, the epiglottis is located slightly above the root of the tongue, therefore, when swallowing, the food bolus (liquid) bypasses the epiglottis laterally along the piriform pockets of the laryngeal part of the pharynx. As a result, the child can breathe and swallow (drink) at the same time, which is important during the act of sucking.
The larynx rapidly increases in size during the first four years of a child's life. During puberty (after 10-12 years), active growth begins again, which continues until the age of 25 in men and until 22-23 in women. As the larynx grows 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 is vertical. The larynx takes the position typical of an adult after 17-20 years.
The entrance to the larynx in a newborn is wider than in an adult. The vestibule is short, so the glottis is high. The glottis is 6.5 mm long (3 times shorter than in an adult). The intermembranous and intercartilaginous parts are almost equal in length (3.5 and 3 mm). The glottis noticeably increases in size during the first 3 years of a child's life, and then during puberty. The elastic cone of the larynx is narrow and short. Its height in a newborn is 9-10 mm. The muscles of the larynx in a newborn and in childhood are poorly developed. Their most intensive growth is observed during puberty.
The cartilages of the larynx in a newborn are thin, becoming thicker with age, but retain their flexibility for a long time. In old and senile age, calcium salts are deposited in the cartilages of the larynx, except for the epiglottis; the cartilages partially ossify, becoming fragile and brittle.
Sexual differences in the larynx are not observed at an early age. Later, the larynx grows somewhat faster in boys than in girls. After 6-7 years, the larynx in boys is larger than in girls of the same age. At 10-12 years, the protrusion of the larynx becomes noticeable in boys. During puberty, the size of the larynx and the length of the vocal cords are larger in boys than in girls.
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