The Differences between the Pulmonary System of Infants and Adults

The Differences between the Pulmonary System of Infants and Adults
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The Differences between the Pulmonary System of Infants and Adults
The respiratory system is designed to transport oxygen to the body tissues and together with the cardiovascular system helps in the elimination of carbon dioxide in the body. There is need for air to move from the alveoli where it mixes with blood to give room for gaseous exchange to occur. The respiratory system also helps in the transportation of oxygen from the alveolar wall into blood capillaries and of carbon dioxide from the blood stream to the alveoli. Ideally, there pulmonary system of adults functions in the same way as that of children but there are various structural differences between them. The differences in structure have an impact on how children and adults respond to illness and treatment (Whaley, & Donna, 2012).
The most significant difference between the respiratory system for children and that of adults is that the airway in infants is way smaller when compared to that of adults. Children also have a small nasal space as compared to that of adults. In addition to this, the tongue of an infant is relatively bigger and the palate is compressible. Another structural difference between the two is that is that the epiglottis in infants is bigger and tends to be floppy and is also inclined on the opposite direction from the long axis of the trachea. In infants, the larynx is slightly higher as compared to that of an adult and for children below the age of 10 years, the larynx is shaped as a funnel. This is different from adults where the larynx is cylindrical in shape and flexes from the narrowest point. In infants, the positioning of the airway is impacted by the larger occiput something that does not happen in adults (Zahraa, 2016).
Another major difference between the pulmonary system for children and adults is seen from the movement of the chest wall and the lungs. During an ordinary respiration, the ribs are pulled in and out by the intercostal muscles while the diaphragm becomes flat in order to increase the intrathoracic volume while decreasing the pressure at the same time. This process causes air to be transferred to the lungs. The expiration process takes place in a passive manner due to elastic coil of the rib cage. The ribs, sternum and costal cartilage in young children are highly manipulative and can move in either direction. In case of any obstruction of the airway, the action leads to sterna and intercostal retractions instead of the ordinary chest and lung expansion (Whaley, & Donna, 2012). Unlike in adults where the airway is tight, the pediatric airway is flexible and thus highly susceptible to dynamic collapse. On top of this, the pediatric tidal volume is mostly reliant on the movement of the diaphragm and in the event that this movement is prevented, the respiration becomes affected since the intercostal muscles are unable to lift the chest wall in a sufficient way to give room for sufficient aeration. Children also have a high demand of oxygen for every kilogram of body weight due to the increased metabolic rate. In children, the normal oxygen function is 6-8 ml/kg for every minute as opposed to adults where the consum...