Pediatric Pulmonology

About Us

Our Pediatric Pulmonology care team at NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital provides diagnosis and comprehensive care for the full range of lung and respiratory disorders. We treat patients age up to 21 years old as new patients and 24 years old as follow-up patient age. Your child will benefit from our leading-edge technologies such as flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy and pulmonary function testing (PFT), and collaboration with behavioral sleep specialists.

Learn more about our location and how to prepare and facilitate the check-in process for your child's visit.

Services & Programs

Our Pediatric Pulmonology specialists treat common and complex respiratory and lung disorders including:

• Asthma
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• Chronic aspiration
• Chronic cough
• Chronic lung disease
• Difficult to treat asthma
• Noisy breathing
• Recurrent persistent wheeze
• Recurrent pneumonias
• Respiratory disease
• Sleep disorders
• Tracheomalacia

Pediatric Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center

Sleep disorders and breathing disorders during sleep are among the most common issues parents deal with in childhood. These disorders may result in learning and behavioral disabilities, as well as long-term pulmonary, endocrine, and heart disease. At the Pediatric Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center, we perform the full range of studies required to diagnose sleep disorders, including daytime and overnight studies. Our center is dedicated exclusively to children and adolescents of all ages, including infants.

Pediatric Aerodigestive Program

Our Pediatric Pulmonology team is part of Weill Cornell Medicine's Pediatric Aerodigestive Program -- a multidisciplinary program bringing Pediatric Pulmonology, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Pediatric Otolaryngology (ENT) specialists together to provide coordinated, single-location care for children with conditions related to the aerodigestive tract.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Pulmonary Function Test

If your child is experiencing breathing problems, Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) can help us understand what’s going on. These tests are safe, painless, and noninvasive, and they provide important information about how your child’s lungs are working.

Pulmonary Function Tests measure things like:

• How big the lungs are
• How quickly and forcefully your child can exhale
• How well oxygen moves from the lungs into the bloodstream.

These tests also help us:

• Track how your child’s lung function changes over time
• See how well treatments are working
• Adjust your child’s respiratory medications.

At our center, pediatric lung specialists use the latest equipment designed specifically for children. Depending on your child’s needs, we may perform one or more of the following tests:

• Spirometry
• Lung Volume Measurement
• Diffusion Capacity (DLCO or TLCO)
• Respiratory Muscle Strength
• Bronchodilator Responsiveness
• Impulse Oscillometry (iOS)
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) - in collaboration with our Pediatric Cardiology team

Bronchoscopy

Our staff is experienced in examining the smaller airways of infants and children of any age using flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Our approach has a high level of diagnostic accuracy while allowing your child to breathe spontaneously during the test. Our flexible bronchoscopy offers:

• Upper and lower airway anatomy assessment for the presence of increased secretions and infections
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
• Brush biopsies

Pediatric Psychology Service

Pediatric Psychology services are available for patients seen in Weill Cornell Medicine pediatric medical divisions. Youth with acute or chronic medical illness are at greater risk for mental health concerns. The Pediatric Psychology Service provides short-term mental health consultation and treatment and collaborates directly with your child’s medical team. If you are interested in seeing a provider, please ask your medical team for a referral.

Research

Our faculty are engaged in research to better understand chronic lung diseases, particularly asthma and cystic fibrosis, and to develop new strategies to prevent and treat these disorders.