title: [Forced spirometry in healthy preschool children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reference values for spirometry in healthy preschool children have not yet been obtained in accordance with American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines. The objective was to establish reference values for spirometry in healthy preschoolers under the ATS/ERS 2007 statement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children of at least 2 and under 7 years of age were tested in 9 pediatric pulmonary function laboratories. The technicians were trained to apply a standardized protocol to perform spirometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Valid spirometry results were obtained in 455 (81.54%) out of 558 children: 242 boys (53.2%) and 213 girls (46.8%). Ages were as follows: 31 at least 2 and under 3 years old; 96, at least 3 and under 4; 108, at least 4 and under 5; 122, at least 5 and under 6 years, and 98, at least 6 and under 7 years. Formulas were used to calculate the reference values for all the spirometry variables in preschoolers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spirometry is feasible in the majority of preschool children under the new guidelines. The availability of the reference values presented is an important step, both for the care of preschoolers and for further research on pulmonary function.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Neumología Infantil, Hospital Materno-Infantil, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España.
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Pérez-Yarza
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cobos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salcedo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Escribano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sardón
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Emparanza
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013147:Spirometry