Wheezing Disorders in Infants: Risk Factors and Outcomes

Wheezing in early life encompasses a spectrum of transient and persistent respiratory phenotypes characterised by audible airway obstruction. Infants may present with occasional wheeze during viral infections or develop recurrent episodes signalling an underlying predisposition to asthma. Risk factors include parental history of atopy, early‐onset and frequent lower respiratory infections, exposure to tobacco smoke and air pollutants, and developmental factors such as prematurity and impaired lung growth. Viral bronchiolitis, notably respiratory syncytial virus, can trigger airway hyperresponsiveness and remodelling, compounding future respiratory morbidity. Outcomes vary from complete resolution by school age to progression towards persistent asthma, diminished pulmonary function and increased health‐care utilisation. Early identification of high‐risk infants permits targeted interventions—such as minimising exposure to environmental triggers, optimising nutritional status and judicious use of inhaled therapies—to mitigate long‐term sequelae and improve quality of life for patients and families worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Wheezing Disorders in Infants: Risk Factors and Outcomes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in wheezing disorders in infants: risk factors and outcomes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Wheezing: A high‐pitched, musical sound produced when air flows through narrowed small airways during breathing.

Recurrent Wheezing: Three or more distinct episodes of wheezing within the first year of life, suggesting persistent airway hyperresponsiveness.

Bronchiolitis: Inflammation of the bronchial tubes, most often viral in origin, leading to airway oedema, mucus production and wheeze.

Prematurity: Birth occurring before 37 completed weeks of gestation, associated with underdeveloped lungs and greater respiratory vulnerability.

Mechanical Ventilation: Use of an external device to support or replace spontaneous breathing, which can influence airway development in preterm infants.

References

1. Update on airway obstruction in children, with a nursing approach airway obstruction in children. AG Salud (2024).
2. Prevalência de sibilância e fatores de risco associados em crianças no primeiro ano de vida, residentes no Município de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Cadernos de Saúde Pública (2011).
3. Prevalência e características clínicas da sibilância em crianças no primeiro ano de vida, residentes na cidade de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil1. Revista Paulista de Pediatria (2014).
4. Factors associated with recurrent wheezing in the first year of life among premature newborns from Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Revista Brasileira de Saúde Materno Infantil (2021).