Inside Pediatrics Spring 2025

30 seconds, non-invasively, without sedation and repeated over time. It typically takes just a few minutes to set up and can be used soon after birth. “It’s well suited to neonates because it doesn’t need any effort on behalf of the baby,” Travers said. “Oscillometry is also able to tell you the severity and the type of lung disease a baby has.” In addition, he said, it’s an ideal tool to use in research because of its simplicity and accuracy. The Children’s team has already used the device in more than 600 neonates. They published the first results of their work in 2020, which demonstrated the feasibility of using oscillometry in healthy newborns and those with respiratory disorders. Now, they’re in the midst of a larger study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute involving 550 babies with the goal of establishing

normative data for infant lung function and tracking outcomes, such as asthma and wheezing, in early childhood. “We’re also using it in our NICU to see whether babies respond to certain medications,” Travers said. This approach could help doctors quickly determine if a treatment is effective or if they need to pursue alternative options. The use of FOT at Children’s is still only in the research phase. Eventually, Travers hopes, it will become standard of care not only in his NICU, but in hospitals everywhere. ●

To learn more about Travers’ research, read his most recent published study on Pub Med .

A poster showing Travers’ findings that he presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2024 meeting in Toronto, Canada

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