Fresh findings demonstrate the important role of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in treating pediatric patients who have chronic respiratory conditions. The research, which was presented at the 2026 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference, suggests children who complete PR can improve function and quality of life.
“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 Tauras Vucianis in an ATS news release. Vucianis is a medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and first author of the study.
PR is well established in adult treatment plans, especially for patients with COPD, but pediatric PR programs are less common. Vucianis noted a lack of standardized protocols and the need for personalized plans bespoke to patient ages, conditions, behaviors and functional capacities make implementing pediatric PR programs more difficult.
In the recent study, researchers followed 51 children with chronic respiratory illness who were enrolled in a pediatric PR program and completed at least five sessions. Participants reported meaningful improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life. Lung function, as measured by spirometry, remained stable for patients but did not necessarily improve, Vulcianis noted. Children and their caregivers also reported very high satisfaction with the program.
“[This] supports PR as an important component of care for children with chronic respiratory disease,” said Vulcianis, who noted the team has plans to continue its research in studies that examine other pediatric PR outcomes, the long-term benefits of PR and the optimal timing of PR for children with various pulmonary conditions.
“One of the main goals of the program is to increase patients’ confidence in the self-management of their disease and to promote physical activity outside of the medical facility,” Vulcianis said.
