CONTENTS The Guest Editors vii Preface viii Introduction ix 1. Epidemiology of respiratory diseases in infants and children 1 E. von Mutius 2. Lung development from infancy to adulthood 8 P.J.F.M. Merkus, A.A. Hislop 3. Assessing lung growth and function in infants and young children 22 M. Gappa, J. Stocks, U. Frey 4. Remodelling in paediatric respiratory disease and impact on growth 41 and development D.N. Payne, S. Saglani, A. Bush 5. Immunology and defence mechanism of the developing lung 60 B. Schaub, R. Lauener, S.L. Prescott 6. Allergy and the paediatric lung during development 79 A. Custovic, K.C. Lødrup Carlsen, K. Håkon Carlsen 7. Impact of genetic factors on lung development in health and disease 93 P. LeSouëf, M. Kabesch 8. Gene–environment interaction and respiratory disease in children 108 J. Gerritsen, N.E. Reijmerink, M. Kerkhof, D.S. Postma 9. Clinically relevant early functional and diagnostic markers of lung 120 disease in children J.C. de Jongste, E. Baraldi, E. Lombardi 10. Clinically relevant early functional and diagnostic markers of lung disease 142 in the paediatric intensive care unit A. Schibler, J.J. Pillow 11. Wheezing disorders in young children: one disease or several phenotypes? 153 J. Grigg, M. Silverman 12. Bronchiolitis in infants and children 170 J.LL. Kimpen, J. Hammer The European Respiratory Monograph Number 37 November 2006 Contents MON 37.qxd 07/11/2006 14:31 Page 1