Pediatric pulmonary rehab programs enhance exercise capacity, strength, and quality of life even when lung function measurements remain stable.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Functional Gains: Pediatric pulmonary rehabilitation significantly enhances exercise capacity, strength, and quality of life in children with chronic respiratory conditions.
- Lung Function Stability: Clinical improvements in pediatric patients occurred even when traditional lung function testing, such as spirometry, showed no change.
- Program Feasibility: High satisfaction among patients and caregivers supports the use of individualized rehabilitation programs despite a current lack of standardized pediatric protocols.
Pulmonary rehab (PR) significantly improves functioning and quality of life in children with chronic respiratory conditions, regardless of whether lung function itself improves, according to data presented at ATS 2026.
The findings provide new insights into the role of PR for pediatric patients and support the feasibility of these programs for children with chronic respiratory conditions, said Tauras Vucianis, first author and a third-year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
While PR is well established for adults, particularly those with COPD, pediatric programs remain rare.
According to Vucianis, challenges in the pediatric space include a lack of standardized protocols and the need for individualized exercise programs tailored to the age, behavior, and functional capacity of each patient.
“The key takeaway is that pediatric PR significantly improves how children function and feel, with increased exercise capacity, strength, and quality of life — even when traditional lung function testing doesn’t change,” said Vucianis.
For the study, researchers tracked outcomes among 51 children who were enrolled in a pediatric PR program and completed at least five sessions. Participants showed significant improvement in exercise capacity and reported considerable improvement in quality of life. Notably, spirometry, a key measure of lung function, remained stable but did not improve.
“This highlights that meaningful clinical improvement extends beyond spirometry and supports PR as an important component of care for children with chronic respiratory disease,” said Vucianis.
Patient and caregiver satisfaction with the program was high, supporting its acceptability and feasibility. Vucianis noted that a primary goal of the program is to increase patient confidence in disease self-management and to promote physical activity outside of healthcare facilities.
The research team plans to continue its work by examining the impact of pediatric PR on other outcomes, the sustainability of benefits over time, and the optimal timing of rehabilitation for children with chronic respiratory diseases.
More information
Session/Presentation: A99
Different Delivery and New Populations: Clinical Trials of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Pediatric Chronic Respiratory Disease
Date and Time: May 17, 2026, at 3:27 p.m.
Location: W110A (Level I, OCCC West Concourse)
