HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Marcus, C. L. Articles by Blaisdell, C. J. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Marcus, C. L. Articles by Blaisdell, C. J.

Developmental Aspects of the Upper Airway

Report from an NHLBI Workshop, March 5–6, 2009

¹ Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ² The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; ³ Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; ⁴ Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; ⁵ University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; ⁶ University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio; ⁷ Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; ⁸ Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; ⁹ Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York; ¹⁰ Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; ¹¹ Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts; ¹² University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts; ¹³ University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; ¹⁴ Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; ¹⁵ Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania; ¹⁶ Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, Florida; ¹⁷ Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; ¹⁸ Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, New York; ¹⁹ National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Carol J. Blaisdell M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases, NIH, 6701 Rockledge Dr. 10-042, Bethesda, MD 20892. E-mail: blaisdellcj{at}nhlbi.nih.gov

ABSTRACT

The upper airway serves three important functions: respiration, swallowing, and speech. During development it undergoes significant structural and functional changes that affect its size, shape, and mechanical properties. Abnormalities of the upper airway require prompt attention, because these often alter ventilatory patterns and gas exchange, particularly during sleep when upper airway motor tone and ventilatory drive are diminished. Recognizing the relationship of early life events to lung health and disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), with cofunding from the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD), convened a workshop of extramural experts, from many disciplines. The objective of the workshop was: (1) to review the state of science in pediatric upper airway disorders; (2) to make recommendations to the Institute to fill knowledge gaps; (3) to prioritize new research directions; and (4) to capitalize on scientific opportunities. This report provides recommendations that could facilitate translation of basic research findings into practice to better diagnose, treat, and prevent airway compromise in children.