Pediatric Pulmonology

Corewell Health Children's pediatric pulmonologists offer a full-service clinical program for infants, children, and teens with diseases of the respiratory system. In close collaboration with primary care physicians, our award-winning, board-certified specialists provide comprehensive care for the full spectrum of respiratory disorders. The program includes a clinic for asthma, chronic lung disease of prematurity, and home ventilation for chronic respiratory failure patients. We also have expertise in sports performance and offer flexible bronchoscopy in addition to pulmonary exercise testing and respiratory muscle strength evaluation.

Pediatric pulmonologists treat a child's respiratory system, all of the organs and structures related to breathing. The respiratory system includes the nose, sinuses, throat, vocal cords, windpipe, and airways leading to and inside the lungs. Corewell Health Children's pediatric pulmonology program specializes in breathing problems that affect infants, children, and teens. Among the problems treated by pediatric pulmonologists are:

• Aspiration syndrome
• Asthma
• Chronic cough
• Chronic lung disease / bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Chronic sinusitis
• Exercise intolerance or performance enhancement
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• Recurrent pneumonia
• Shortness of breath
• Vocal cord disorders

Extensive pediatric training qualifies Corewell Health Children's pediatric pulmonologists to evaluate all of a patient's breathing symptoms, determine the underlying cause, and prepare an individualized treatment plan. They are skilled in testing the function of the lungs (pulmonary function and peak flow testing) and examining the windpipe and airways in the lungs with flexible, fiberoptic "scopes." Procedures called laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy allow doctors to inspect the walls of the airway using tiny cameras. The pulmonologists work with other doctors on the patient's medical team to coordinate the delivery of comprehensive treatment, including addressing the diseases that cause breathing symptoms.

For patients with asthma and other airway diseases, Corewell Health Children's pediatric pulmonologists teach proper use of inhalers and nebulizers, review medications and how to use them correctly, and monitor response to treatment. These steps help patients and families become more confident about managing airway conditions. The pediatric pulmonologists are also available to answer questions and discuss how well the treatment is progressing.

Corewell Health Children's pediatric pulmonology program reaches out to the community through the Nationwide Asthma Screening Program, which helps to identify young people who are at risk for or already have asthma. Finding asthma early means that it can be managed more effectively.