Lung Development in Children: Factors Affecting Respiratory Health

Doctor listens to breath of little boy through stethoscope. Pediatrician with stethoscope listening to a lungs in child with bronchitis and cough

Although most of a child’s organ development occurs while their mother is pregnant, your little one’s body continues to grow and develop throughout childhood. In fact, some systems continue to develop well into adulthood!

However, several factors can influence your child’s lungs and airways along the way. To protect your child, it’s essential to understand childhood lung development and learn about the impact of their environment and medical history on their respiratory health. According to our pulmonology experts, here are a few facts you should know:

Pulmonology and the Development of the Lungs

As a parent, you might be surprised to learn that your child’s lung development begins fairly soon after conception and continues until the age of 25 or so. Along the way, numerous things can encourage healthy development, but there are also specific hazards that can negatively impact the lungs well into adulthood.

Below are some common factors affecting respiratory health and proper lung development in children. If you have questions or concerns about any of these factors, consider scheduling an appointment with your pediatrician.

Birth Weight

Scientific research points out correlations between certain negative health outcomes and birth weight. For example, when it comes to lung function and development, low birth weight can predict reduced lung health later in life.

Along with reduced lung function, low birth weight can contribute to a host of health problems. When a baby is born prematurely or underweight, its body may not be as prepared to survive in the outside world as a fully developed baby. This may mean it has a harder time taking in calories, fighting off infections, or regulating its body temperature.

Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

Smoking during pregnancy can severely impact your baby’s health. During pregnancy, it’s essential to avoid smoke of any kind to protect your baby’s lung development.

However, after your child is born, you should protect them from secondhand smoke. Between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in children can be traced back to secondhand smoke exposure each year. Your child could be at risk for reduced lung function and asthma if they’re exposed to secondhand smoke in utero or during childhood.

Pulmonology researchers believe this happens because secondhand smoke exposure in utero causes a stress response in a baby’s lungs. This response can cause overly rapid lung maturation, which compromises healthy lung development.

A child’s immune system is also weaker than an adult’s. During childhood, a child’s immune system has a much harder time-fighting respiratory infections and managing airway inflammation. This weakened condition, coupled with exposure to hazardous substances like cigarette smoke, can have long-lasting consequences for your child’s lung health.

Air Pollution

Across the world, there are a growing number of potentially harmful compounds in the air. Environments that suffer from elevated air pollution can be especially detrimental to a child’s developing lungs. Studies show that early exposure to air pollution can result in unfavorable respiratory outcomes.

Many chemicals that pollute the air have toxic, inflammatory effects on the lungs. During key stages of childhood lung development, excessive exposure to air pollution can interfere with the normal growth of the respiratory tract.

Childhood Asthma

Asthma can develop at any point in a person’s life, but early-onset asthma in childhood is associated with respiratory problems later in life. Most notably, these problems can persist even if a child is symptom-free by age five or six years.

Intense development occurs in a child’s respiratory tract during early childhood. Research in pulmonology suggests that early-onset asthma contributes to airway remodeling, which can set the stage for reduced lung function later in life.

While the human body adapts impressively efficiently to stresses and health challenges, early problems with lung function can have consequences for a lifetime.

Genetics

Parents are often surprised to learn that certain lung diseases and complications can be passed down through families. For example, your child’s lung capacity and function may be influenced by your own. If you’ve suffered from respiratory tract infections regularly, you may find that your child experiences more of these infections, too.

Unfortunately, some inherited conditions aren’t immediately evident. Even if you have a completely healthy pregnancy and your child develops normally, they could still face potential lung health complications down the road based on their genetic makeup.

Pet Allergens

A growing number of children are allergic to pet dander. If your child is allergic to pet dander of any kind, keeping pets in your home can impact their lung function.

Common symptoms associated with pet allergies may include:

  • Wheezing
  • Coughing
  • Watery eyes
  • Itchy throat
  • Sneezing
  • Trouble breathing

Most of these symptoms directly affect your child’s respiratory system. Once you detect a pet allergy in your home, it’s important to reduce the child’s exposure as much as possible.

Start by scheduling allergy testing for your child. This can help to pinpoint the source of their allergy symptoms and help you to come up with a plan that protects your child while providing appropriate care for your family’s furry members as well.

Thorough, frequent deep cleaning in your home can help to address pet allergies. Adequate air filters or purification devices can also help to remove pet hair and dander that might otherwise circulate through your home. This can reduce the chances of your child developing respiratory complications from their allergies.

See a Pulmonology Specialist at Newport Children’s Medical Group

While this may seem like a long list, there are steps you can take to protect your child’s lung development. Seeing a pediatrician regularly is one of the best steps that you can take to encourage healthy lung development and respiratory health for your child!

Regular access to a pediatrician is key to monitoring your child’s lung health and development. At Newport Children’s Medical Group, we offer pediatric pulmonary care, which focuses on lung disease and illness in children.

Book an appointment with us today to set your little one up for better respiratory health for life.