Expert Pulmonology Care for Kids
The pediatric pulmonologists of KIDZ Medical Services offer comprehensive clinical services for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary (lung) conditions and diseases in newborn babies, children, teens, and young adults.
Our board-certified pediatric pulmonologists have highly specialized training and unparalleled expertise in treating pulmonary disorders in children.
Common Pulmonary Disorders in Children
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Bronchitis, bronchiolitis
- Wheezing
- Apnea
- Cystic fibrosis
- RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
- Neonatal lung diseases
Many of these conditions are characterized by a chronic cough or difficulty breathing. Modern medical equipment and technologies are used to provide integrated individualized pediatric pulmonary medical care.
We work with neonatologists, pediatricians and other specialists as a team to provide excellent, personalized patient care. Our services include:
- Synagis® (RSV prophylaxis) Clinic
- Influenza, pneumonia, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines for patients and their families
- Flexible bronchoscopy in multiple South Florida hospitals
- Pulmonary function testing (PFT) in the office and sophisticated PFTs at several South Florida hospitals that have specially trained respiratory therapists
- Pediatric sleep medicine (or referral to sleep medicine specialist), including management of neonatal and obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias, circadian rhythm disorder
Frequently Asked Questions
RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children under one year of age in the United States. One to two out of every 100 children younger than 6 months of age with RSV infection may need to be hospitalized.
Synagis, also known as palivizumab (say "pah-lih-VIH-zu-mahb"), is a medication that reduces hospitalizations due to RSV infection among children at high risk for severe disease including:
- Those who are under one year old and were born prematurely (before 29 weeks gestation)
- Children younger than 2 years old with chronic lung or heart disease
- Children age 2 and younger with weakened immune systems
The medication is given monthly via intramuscular injections during the RSV season, which is approximately five months long.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe.
After fits of many coughs, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a "whooping" sound. Pertussis most commonly affects infants and young children and can be fatal, especially in babies younger 1 year of age.
The best way to protect against pertussis is to immunize your child with the pertussis vaccination.
Flexible bronchoscopy is a procedure that enables our pediatric pulmonologists to examine the major air passages of the lungs. This allows the doctor to evaluate your child’s lungs and take small samples of tissue or fluid, if necessary.
Prior to the procedure your child will be given a mild sedative, and his/her nose or mouth will be numbed. The physician then inserts a bronchoscope, which is a flexible lighted tube about the width of a pencil, through the nose or mouth and into the windpipe. A small channel in the instrument allows tissue and fluid samples to be collected, if necessary.
In children, reasons for having a bronchoscopy include:
- Atypical or recurrent/persistent pneumonia
- Lung collapse
- Evaluate airway after surgery (cardiac, airway, etc.)
- Noisy breathing or persistent choking that does not respond to therapy
- When a baby is born prematurely and has had a tracheostomy or abnormal findings on a chest X-ray that do not change over time
- If a child gets an object caught in his airway, he may also need to go to the operating room for removal of the object using a rigid bronchoscope.
Pulmonary function tests are a series of breathing maneuvers that can measure lung size, velocity of airflow, and gas exchange. The test is painless and noninvasive. Most children age 5 or older are able to perform a PFT by following some simple directions.
Pulmonary function tests can provide our pediatric pulmonologists with information about:
- How well your child’s lungs are working
- How well a medicine is working and how to optimize lung function
- Whether the lung disease is improving or worsening with time
- Help deciding whether certain symptoms, such as chest pain, are due to heart disease or lung disease
If your pediatrician or family doctor recommends that your child see a doctor who specializes in lung and respiratory disorders in children, trust the experts at KIDZ Medical Services. Call to make an appointment with one of our pediatric pulmonologists or request an appointment online.
RSV Clinic