What causes Congenital laryngeal palsy ?
What is the cause of congenital laryngeal paralysis? The cause is often unknown (idiopathic). Congenital bilateral vocal cord paralysis may occur as a result of the immaturity of the nerve or muscle (neuromuscular) or as a result of central nervous system problems, such as Arnold-Chiari syndrome, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, myelomeningocele, spine bifida, hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the blood), or bleeding. In other cases the vocal cords' paralysis is acquired. For example, a birth trauma may cause tension in the neck and lead to bilateral vocal cord paralyses that can last 6-9 months. Other causes may include:  Surgical Trauma  Malignancies  Delayed endotracheal intubation  Neurological diseases  Strokes  Choking  Diseases that result in inflammation of the vocal cords or the laryngeal cartilage (Wegener's granulomatosis, sarcoidosis or polychondritis, gout, syphilis and tuberculosis (resulting in mechanical attachment of the vocal cords)  Diabetes mellitus, which may lead to a neuropathy resulting in vocal cord paralysis  Gastroesophageal reflux (GER). The unilateral paralysis is usually idiopathic but may also be secondary to mediastinal lesions, such as tumors or vascular malformations or iatrogenic (caused by damage to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery in this area, such as heart surgery). It may also result from problems of the mechanical structures of the larynx as the cricoarytenoid joint. The following online resources provide more information on the cause of congenital laryngeal paralysis: American Academy of Otolaringology Medscape Reference - Congenital Malformations of the Larynx