Clinical diagnosis of wheezing in early childhood

Wheezing is one of the most common symptoms of respiratory disease in childhood, Epidemiologic studies from various countries have shown that 10-15'\, of infants in the first year of life and up to 25",, of children under 5 years of age present to their physician with wheezing respiratory illness (40,67).The majority of infants and young children with recurrent wheezy, lower respiratory tract symptoms are very likely to have asthma, regardless of age of onset, evidence of atopic disease, precipitating causes, or frequency of wheezing (71), Since asthma in infancy can be confused with various other conditions which produce similar signs and symptoms, and physiologic changes, the initial evaluation of a wheezing infant should aim at the exclusion of alternative diagnoses." SitMioiniPc: C[.ir.sj nostic procedures in infants with recurrent chronic 8 F.iiiiKMo :iiiu' C.iitus,^ respirator) s)niptiMi!s are the//^'K'rc(Y//>?/e.vr (5-TU) B'.'ivficpuinion.,!^ cvspL-ii.... and tlic s u c'cit chloride h"^! since w heezing may be the