Non-invasive differential diagnosis of Noisy breathing Infant and toddlers

Principle Investigator: prof. dr. Marc Raes, Researcher: Gitte Slingers

Nearly half of all children before the age of 2 have had at least one period in which they breathed loud and almost a quarter of these children suffer more often from noisy breathing. At the moment, there is no objective technique available to distinguish between the different forms of noisy breathing. Reporting of the symptoms by parents is also not objective and often they use the term wheezing to also describe other respiratory sounds, often resulting in the wrong diagnosis and therefore the wrong treatment is prescribed.

Rattle is caused by over-production of mucus in the lower respiratory tract and can be treated by anticholinergic agents. The child experiences little discomfort and this kind of noisy breathing is transient. Wheezing on the contrast, is caused by an obstruction in the lower respiratory tract and should be treated early with corticosteroids or bronchodilators as it can evolve into asthma when the child gets older.

The purpose of this study is to improve the diagnosis of noisy breathing infants and young children. We want to achieve this by using non-invasive biomarkers in exhaled air and in the nasal mucus to distinguish between wheezing and rattling breathing. A better and more objective diagnosis will lead to a more cost-effective and personalized treatment. This will reduce the misuse of medication and moreover the quality of life of noisy breathing infants and young children will increase.