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Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
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Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Published on: May 10, 2024

Chapter 11: the infant and toddler with wheezing

Rachel Glick Robison, Anne Marie Singh

    Allergy and Asthma Proceedings
    |July 17, 2012
    PubMed

    Insights

    Recurrent wheezing in young children can be transient or persistent. While some infants outgrow wheezing, others may develop long-term respiratory issues, highlighting the need for early identification and management.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatrics
    • Pulmonology
    • Immunology

    Background:

    • Recurrent wheezing affects a significant portion of young children, often triggered by viral infections or bacterial colonization.
    • Wheezing phenotypes in early childhood include transient early wheezers, nonatopic wheezers, and atopic wheezers, each with distinct clinical trajectories.
    • Understanding these phenotypes is crucial for predicting long-term respiratory health and guiding interventions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To characterize the different phenotypes of recurrent wheezing in infants and toddlers.
    • To investigate the association between wheezing phenotypes, lung function, and bronchial hyperreactivity.
    • To explore the long-term outcomes of early childhood wheezing.

    Main Methods:

    • Classification of wheezing phenotypes based on age of onset, duration, and associated factors.
    • Assessment of lung function in children with different wheezing phenotypes.
    • Evaluation of bronchial hyperreactivity using methacholine challenge tests.

    Main Results:

    • Transient early wheezers (60%) show reduced lung function by age 6, despite symptom resolution.
    • "Nonatopic wheezers" (20%) have persistent but less frequent symptoms and slightly reduced lung function without bronchial hyperreactivity.
    • "Atopic wheezers" (20%) present with normal infancy lung function but develop reduced lung function and bronchial hyperreactivity by age 6.

    Conclusions:

    • Early childhood wheezing is heterogeneous, with distinct phenotypes having different prognoses.
    • Atopic wheezing is associated with the development of reduced lung function and bronchial hyperreactivity.
    • Long-term respiratory health in children with recurrent wheezing depends on the underlying phenotype.

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