title: [Asthma in infants. Clinical and functional aspects].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of asthma in infancy is rising but its clinical and physiological components remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 infants, aged less than 48 months, in whom the first wheezing episode (WE) appeared before the age of 30 months (mean age: 9 months) underwent clinical examination and pulmonary function tests at least 2 weeks after the last WE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean WE frequency was 1.1 per month and the mean number of admissions for WE was 1.8. 63% of patients showed symptoms between WE and 50% had an allergic profile. There was no evidence of thoracic distension. Bronchial obstruction (BO) occurred in 71% of patients; among these, BO was distal or generalized in 59% and medium or severe in 47%. 12.5% of patients were hypoxemic at testing. BO was less severe in patients treated with theophylline; it was more frequent (87%) in those with symptoms between WE and/or several admissions, and/or admission to the intensive care unit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides additional evidence that infants presenting with asthma at an early age have severe clinical and physiological profiles.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorie d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sarkozy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boule
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Just
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Neve
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grimfeld
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tournier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Girard
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Asthme du nourrisson. Aspects cliniques et fonctionnels.