Effects of age, gender, and body size on nasal cross-sectional area in children

Abstract

The long-term goal of this research is to define the dimensions of nasal airway adequacy in children. Nasal airway size and variables associated with growth were assessed in 138 healthy children aged 7-15 years. The pressure-flow technique (Warren, 1984) was used to calculate the smallest cross-sectional area of the nasal airway. Mean nasal area was 0.38 +/- 0.12 cm2 for 7-9-year-olds, 0.40 +/- 0.13 cm2 for 10-12-year-olds, and 0.46 +/- 0.16 cm2 for 13-15-year-old children, the effect of age being statistically significant. Nasal airway size did not vary systematically with body size nor was there any clear difference between girls and boys. We conclude that age should always be considered when assessing the status of the nasal airway in children and adolescents.