Condition in
Pediatric Pulmonology

Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD)

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Overview

At M Health Pediatrics, we provide expert care for children with rare and complex conditions. This is especially true of our lung care specialists, who have decades of expertise diagnosing and treating children who have Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD). If your child has interstitial lung disease, you can expect every member of your care team will provide comprehensive, compassionate care to help them have the best quality of life possible.

Our approach

Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD) is a family of rare chronic and complex diseases that affect the lungs of infants, children, and teenagers. It is also called rare diffuse lung disease. This collection of disorders often includes symptoms such as difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, coughing, low oxygen levels, and poor growth. ChILD affects how oxygen is absorbed and can cause damage to the lungs.  

ChILD diseases can be present at birth or develop later during childhood. They are usually organized into two groups: children with symptoms that occur before the age of two and children with symptoms that occur after age two.

Listed below are the types of chILD that present in children under age 2:  

  • Diffuse developmental disorders such as Alveolar capillary dysplasia (ACD)
  • Surfactant disorders including surfactant B deficiency, surfactant C deficiency, and ABC3 mutation disorder
  • Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI)
  • Pulmonary interstitial glycogenesis 
  • Growth abnormalities affecting lung development which can include pulmonary hypoplasia, chronic neonatal lung disease, chromosomal disorders, and lung disease related to congenital heart disease  

These are the chILD disorders that develop in children after the age of 2:

  • Disorders related to systemic immune disorders including rheumatological disorders
  • Other causes for chILD disorders include environmental exposures from medications, infectious or post infectious processes (bronchiolitis obliterans), and disorders affecting pulmonary vasculature  

Children can be diagnosed using a combination of the following methods: echocardiography, pulmonary function testing, bronchoscopy, genetic testing, and biopsy. Common treatments for chILD include oxygen therapy, bronchodilators, extra nutrition, and corticosteroid medications. In more serious cases, children may need a lung transplant. Kids with chILD should see a pediatric pulmonologist who can develop a treatment plan customized to their unique lifestyle and medical needs.