[Can an improvement in pulmonary function be demonstrated in children under 10 years sent to winter sport classes?]

The purpose of this research was to appreciate the benefit of a Winter sport class for young children. The study was carried out, in the Northern suburb of Paris, among girls and boys, aged 8.4 on average. Among them, 91 went to the mountains and 65 (controls) stayed in town. A spirometry and a flow-volume curve were measured: before starting, on coming back home and 2 years later. The parents filled in questionnaires about children's respiratory symptoms and history. Morphometric data were recorded. Reference values of this population were obtained by taking height into account. No difference in respiratory symptoms and history was observed between the groups at the beginning of the survey. However, the children who went to the mountains had lower age, weight and height than the others. Nevertheless, 2 years later, these children had a more important increase of F.E.F.1 and F.E.F.25-75. They had also a more important increase of their flows.