Introduction
Pediatric lung disease is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A broad spectrum of lung diseases affects children from birth to adulthood. These include asthma, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular disorders, chronic lung disease of prematurity, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial and diffuse lung diseases, sleep disorders, and others. The prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of these diseases vary widely. Asthma affects 10-15 percent of all children and has a significant negative impact on quality of life as well as other aspects of childhood health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, more than 210 children die of asthma each year in the United States.1 Cystic Fibrosis affects more than 30,000 individuals in the US, with 50% of them being children. Although life expectancy has significantly improved in recent decades (44.4 years in 2018), many children with CF die each year.2 The prevalence of other disorders is more difficult to quantify, but as a whole they contribute to substantial disease burden leading to poor health and wellbeing, decreased quality of life, and disease-related morbidity and mortality. The availability of Pediatric Pulmonologists to manage the long-term care of these children, conduct clinical research trials, and investigate the fundamentals of disease pathophysiology is crucial to addressing these issues.