Which symptom is less commonly associated with laryngomalacia than stridor?

Laryngomalacia is a common congenital condition characterized by the softening of the tissue above the vocal cords, leading to stridor, particularly during expiration. Stridor is the hallmark symptom, and other symptoms may occasionally accompany it but are generally less common.

Among the listed symptoms, fever is the least commonly associated with laryngomalacia. While laryngomalacia primarily presents with stridor and may involve symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or feeding difficulties due to airway obstruction, fever typically indicates the presence of an infection or inflammation, which is not a characteristic feature of laryngomalacia. The primary issues with laryngomalacia stem from the structural integrity and dynamics of the airway rather than infectious processes.

In contrast, coughing can occur as the respiratory system responds to the stridor and potential irritation, wheezing may indicate coexisting conditions such as asthma or reactive airway disease, and feeding difficulties can arise when the infant struggles to manage airflow due to stridor during feeding. Hence, fever stands out as less relevant in the context of laryngomalacia itself.