Abstract
Although children commonly travel to high altitudes, their respiratory adaptation to hypoxia remains elusive. Therefore, in the present study respiratory inductive plethysmography, pulse oximetry (Sp,O2) and end-tidal CO2 tension (PET,CO2) were recorded in 20 pre-pubertal children (aged 9–12 yrs) and their fathers during 1 night in Zurich (490 m) and 2 nights at the Swiss Jungfrau-Joch research station (3,450 m) following ascent by train within <3 h.
In children, mean±sd nocturnal Sp,O2 fell from 98±1% at 490 m to 85±4 and 86±4% at 3,450 m (nights 1 and 2, respectively); PET,CO2decreased significantly from 37±6 to 32±3 and 33±4 mmHg (3,450 versus 490 m). In adults, changes in nocturnal Sp,O2 and PET,CO2at 3,450 m were similar to those in children.
Children spent less time in periodic breathing at 3,450 m during night 1 and 2 (8±11 and 9±13%, respectively) than adults (34±24 and 22±17%, respectively), and their apnoea threshold for CO2 was lower compared with adults (27±2 and 30±2 mmHg, respectively, both nights). Sp,O2, PET,CO2 and time in periodic breathing at altitude were not correlated between children and their fathers.
In conclusion, children revealed a similarly reduced nocturnal O2 saturation and associated hyperventilation at high altitude as adults but their breathing pattern was more stable, possibly related to a lower apnoea threshold for CO2.
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