Evidence that maturation of the peripheral chemoreceptors is not complete in childhood.

We examined the hypothesis that the peripheral chemoreceptors contribute a different degree of tone to respiration during exercise in normal young children as compared to adults. To improve resolution of the peripheral chemoreceptor contribution, the studies were conducted during controlled levels of exercise. Peripheral chemoreceptor function was assessed by the hyperoxic (FIO2 = 0.80) switch technique during steady-state, sub-anaerobic threshold exercise during air (FIO2 = 0.21) and midly hypoxic gas (FIO2 = 0.15) breathing in 9 healthy children (mean +/- 1 SD age (years) = 8.2 +/- 1.4) and 10 healthy adults (28.2 +/- 6.5). Ventilation during exercise was significantly greater under hypoxic conditions in both children and adults. During air breathing exercise the mean ventilatory decrease in response to the hyperoxic switch was similar in the two groups (27.9 +/- 10.7% in children and 23.3 +/- 6.3% in adults). In contrast, during hypoxic gas breathing exercise the children demonstrated a much greater decrease in ventilation following the hyperoxic switch (57.9 +/- 3.6%) compared to adults (38.9 +/- 5.5%) (P less than 0.0001). Thus, the peripheral chemoreceptors have a greater role in the exercise hyperpnea during hypoxic exercise in young children as compared to adults, suggesting attenuation of peripheral chemoreceptor function during maturation.