The development of cough

Area of Science:

• Pediatric respiratory physiology
• Neonatal respiratory control
• Infant lung mechanics

Background:

• Cough control is underdeveloped in newborns, with spontaneous coughing occurring in less than half of infants.
• The optimization of motor outflow timing and distribution for infant muscle and lung mechanics remains unclear.
• Immature musculoskeletal and lung structures in newborns may impact cough effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the control, motor, and lung mechanical functions during coughing and forced expiration in human infants.
• To describe normal and pathological aspects of infant respiratory system structure and function during coughing.
• To identify areas for future research, including scaling techniques and models of forced expiration.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on infant cough and respiratory mechanics.
• Analysis of physiological data related to infant respiratory control and lung function.
• Identification of knowledge gaps in the understanding of infant coughing mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Newborns exhibit immature cough reflexes, with limited spontaneous or stimulated coughing.
• Infant respiratory systems possess unique mechanical properties, including low lung recoil and tracheal collapsibility, affecting airflow.
• Adequate inspiratory and expiratory pressures are present, but their utilization during infant coughing is not well-characterized.

Conclusions:

• Further research is essential to elucidate the intricacies of infant cough control and respiratory mechanics.
• Understanding the developing respiratory system's functional and structural characteristics is crucial for addressing infant respiratory issues.
• Advanced modeling and analysis of airflow dynamics are needed to improve our comprehension of infant forced expiration.