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Seasonal and regional distribution of laryngomalacia in paediatric in-patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2025

Dean G. Kennedy Open the ORCID record for Dean G. Kennedy [Opens in a new window] ,
Jonathan M. Carnino ,
Nicholas R. Wilson ,
Amos M. Mwaura ,
Lindsay R. Salvati ,
Prachi N. Patel  and
Jessica R. Levi
Dean G. Kennedy*
Affiliation:
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Jonathan M. Carnino
Affiliation:
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Nicholas R. Wilson
Affiliation:
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Amos M. Mwaura
Affiliation:
Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Lindsay R. Salvati
Affiliation:
Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Prachi N. Patel
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
Jessica R. Levi
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Dean Kennedy; Email: dgkenn@bu.edu
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Abstract

Objectives

This study investigates the seasonal and regional distribution of paediatric laryngomalacia admissions in the United States, hypothesizing higher admission rates in winter and colder regions due to reduced sunlight exposure affecting vitamin D levels.

Methods

We analyzed data from the 2016 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID), focusing on children under three years old. Laryngomalacia cases were identified using International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) code Q31.5. Seasonal and regional differences in admission rates were assessed using Pearson’s chi-squared test, with a significance level of p less than 0.05.

Results

Of 4,512,196 estimated national admissions, 11,638 were due to laryngomalacia. Admissions increased by 10.0 per cent in winter and decreased by 10.9 per cent in summer (p < 0.005). Regionally, admissions were higher in the Midwest/Central (18.6 per cent) and Northeast (9.3 per cent) and lower in the South (7.4 per cent) and West (11.1 per cent) (p < 0.005).

Conclusion

Laryngomalacia admissions are significantly influenced by seasonal and regional factors, likely related to environmental conditions affecting vitamin D synthesis.

Keywords

Airwayepidemiologyoutcomespaediatric airwayspathologylaryngologystridorlaryngomalacia

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 139 , Issue 5 , May 2025 , pp. 364 - 367
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Dean Kennedy takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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