Question
My baby, who is 20 months old, has had a hoarse voice for 4 or 5 days now. He doesn’t cry much and drinks plenty of hot water. In the past two months, he hasn’t had a high fever or cough. But why did his voice become hoarse recently, especially with a little runny nose?
Answer
Hoarseness in children is often the main symptom, accompanied by fever, aversion to cold, and general malaise, and is more common in children under 4 or 5 years old, with winter and spring being the peak seasons for outbreaks. Hoarseness often occurs secondary to upper respiratory infections and can also be a sign or complication of acute infectious diseases. At the onset, there may be a slight cough, which is more noticeable at night after sleep. Some children may also have wheezing sounds when breathing in, and in severe cases, difficulty breathing may occur.