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. 2023 Sep 1;152(Suppl 2):e2023062292E.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2023-062292E.

Defining and Promoting Pediatric Pulmonary Health: Assessing Lung Function and Structure

Emily M DeBoer  1 , Wayne J Morgan  2 , Lesliam Quiros-Alcala  3 , Margaret Rosenfeld  4 , James W Stout  4 , Stephanie D Davis  5 , Jonathan M Gaffin  6
Affiliations

Defining and Promoting Pediatric Pulmonary Health: Assessing Lung Function and Structure

Emily M DeBoer et al. Pediatrics. .

Abstract

Lifelong respiratory health is rooted in the structural and functional development of the respiratory system in early life. Exposures and interventions antenatally through childhood can influence lung development into young adulthood, the life stage with the highest achievable lung function. Because early respiratory health sets the stage for adult lung function trajectories and risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, understanding how to promote lung health in children will have far reaching personal and population benefits. To achieve this, it is critical to have accurate and precise measures of structural and functional lung development that track throughout life stages. From this foundation, evaluation of environmental, genetic, metabolic, and immune mechanisms involved in healthy lung development can be investigated. These goals require the involvement of general pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, patients, and researchers to design and implement studies that are broadly generalizable and applicable to otherwise healthy and chronic disease populations. This National Institutes of Health workshop report details the key gaps and opportunities regarding lung function and structure.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES: Dr DeBoer is a founder and consultant of EvoEndoscopy and has intellectual property related to endoscopy. Dr Stout is a consultant for Regeneron and Public Health Seattle-King County. Dr Gaffin receives research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Boston Children’s Hospital, and Vertex pharmaceuticals, and consulting fees from Syneos health and AiCME. Dr Davis reports research funding from the NIH, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and ReCode therapeutics, and consulting fees from a Vertex Pharmaceuticals advisory board. Dr Davis also serves on the PCD Foundation Scientific Advisory Board. Drs Morgan and Rosenfeld have indicated they have no potential conflicts of to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Factors affecting lifelong lung health. Schematic representing the interplay of genetic predisposition, host characteristics, and exposures to environmental pollutants, infections, diet, and other factors in the development of lung function and structure. Created with BioRender.com
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Lung function trajectories are established in childhood. (A) Lung function at birth is highly influential to airways obstruction later in life. (Image from Stern DA, Morgan WJ, Wright AL, Guerra S, Martinez FD. Lancet. 2007;370:758–764). (B) Discrete lung function trajectories from early childhood through adult life. (Image from Agustí A, Hogg JC. N Engl J Med. 2019;381:1248–1256).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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