Pediatric Lung Care

Your child’s breathing is the single most important thing to their health. Healthy lungs and a strong respiratory system are crucial to an active lifestyle and thriving childhood. As a parent, you need to be used to keeping an eye out for countless health concerns and threats to their well-being. But you’re only human and can only keep up with so much. That is why you need a qualified pediatric pulmonary specialist to remain by your side, vigilant against common respiratory illnesses as well as pediatric lung disease. Treating both adults and children, we pride ourselves on helping children of all ages recover from pediatric lung disease and providing care of the highest quality to promote a healthy life and success in school. Get the best pediatric lung care NYC has available with highly recognized pulmonologist Dr. Mayank Shukla.

Ready to Schedule an Appointment with Dr. Shukla?

Dr. Shukla has been diagnosing and treating patients in New York City for the past 15 years to incredibly satisfying results from every individual who walks out our door breathing easier. Treating both adults and children, we pride ourselves on helping children of all ages recover from pediatric lung disease and providing care of the highest quality to promote a healthy life and success in school. Dr. Shukla performed his pediatric residency in New York, where he studied to be sleep doctor and pulmonologist and learned advanced allergy treatments for children. He is also affiliated in New York Presbyterian, Jamaica hospital medical center, Richmond hospital. He did his fellowships in pediatric pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Minnesota. He is a fellow of the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Shukla is a mentor and role model pulmonologist and sleep doctor that is often sought after for his expertise and unique practice. He is often the top selected lecturer for medical residents, nurses and other healthcare professionals on pediatric care in his specialty. As the Chief Pediatric Pulmonologist in a leading central Brooklyn hospital, Dr. Shukla created one of the largest asthma programs in New York City, where he sees between three to six thousand asthma patients each year.

Children’s Lung Development

The most important period of physical development for everyone is throughout childhood, especially regarding our lungs. As soon as we are born, fluid from the womb leaves our lungs and we immediately begin our oxygen intake. It is from this point forward that our blood vessels continue to expand and the air sacs within our lungs multiply, giving us greater access to the air around us. At birth we have about 50 million of these air sacs. By the time we are a fully grown adult, that number skyrockets to around 300 million. As children grow older, the addition of these air sacs along with the steady increase in lung volume allow them clear airways and the oxygen necessary for so many of the body’s other important functions. In order for children to enjoy an active lifestyle and healthful upbringing, this process must remain relatively undisturbed. Unfortunately, there are illness and conditions that hinder lung development in our little ones and can make it difficult to breathe.

Respiratory Syncytial Viruses

RSV’s are very common and typically contagious viral infections that are known to occur before many babies turn two. Most of the time these infections result in a common cold, but they sometimes have the potential to develop more severe illnesses. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, of the children exposed to an RSV for the first time, “25 to 40 out of 100 of them have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia.”

Symptoms of a respiratory syncytial virus may include:

Fever
Cough with yellow or green mucous
Difficulty breathing
Dehydration
Dry skin
Irritability
Runny nose

If left untreated and in some more extreme cases, an RSV can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia which, in turn can become life threatening. Bronchiolitis refers to the inflammation and subsequent blockage of airways leading to the lungs. These airways or bronchioles, become swollen and filled with mucous, making it difficult to breathe. Since younger children have much smaller airways, they are at a higher risk for bronchiolitis. If you think your child may have bronchiolitis, it is recommended you see a pediatric lung doctor equipped to treat such a condition. It is important to catch these lung problems as early as possible to help avoid future respiratory problems like chronic asthma.

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. Commonly, this happens after an upper respiratory tract infection moves to the lungs. Fluid and phlegm begin to fill the lungs, blocking airflow and making it uncomfortable to breathe. Pneumonia has been known to last anywhere from a week to over a month and is contagious due to the amount of coughing and sneezing induced.

Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease

Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD) refers to a family of lung diseases in children with varying degrees of severity. These diseases affect the air sacs found in the lungs and the tissue that surrounds them. It is not known how many children suffer from chILD, however it is typically rare for children to contract these diseases. Interstitial Lung Disease can be caused by other diseases as well as passed down genetically.

Types of child include:

Chronic bronchiolitis
Connective tissue lung disease
Lung growth abnormalities
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia
Neuroendocrine Hyperplasia

There are many signs and symptoms of Children’s Interstitial Lung Disease simply because there are so many diseases associated with it. Common symptoms include: difficulty breathing, chronic coughing, abnormal lung sounds, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

Pediatric Lung Doctor

The importance of children’s lung development cannot be understated. It not only allows our kids to enjoy some of the best parts of growing up (active play) but is a crucial process that contributes to our general health as we transition into adolescence and adulthood. Dr. Shukla’s pediatric lung care in NYC takes special responsibility in making sure every patient is treated with personalized care, as each child’s case in unique and should be treated as such. Dr. Shukla’s background as a board-certified sleep doctor, pediatric pulmonary specialist, and knowledge of allergy treatments make him the most sought after doctor in New York. Get the best pediatric lung care NYC has to offer for your child with Dr. Shukla.

Here at the Asthma, Allergy and Sleep Center of New York, we provide you with a personalized, boutique approach to health care and pediatric pulmonology all under one roof. We emphasize prevention and use our advanced diagnostic technologies to give you and your child the best possible care. Whether you need to see a pulmonologist, sleep doctor, need allergy treatment, contact Dr. Shukla’s New York offices today for an appointment.