Wheezing in infancy: epidemiology, investigation, and treatment.

OBJECTIVE To perform a review of the epidemiological aspects of investigating and treating wheezing in infants. SOURCES A search was run on MEDLINE using the keywords "wheezing," "infants," "diagnosis," "treatment," and "children," and Google was also used to search for "Estudio Internacional de Sibilancias en Lactantes." SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS The prevalence of wheezing in infants varies greatly around the world. The factors associated with wheezing in infants are different at different research centers. Treatment of wheezing infants is still controversial and is dependent on a precise diagnosis. Clinical history and physical examination are fundamental to diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS A standardized method could reveal data of relevance to the epidemiology and treatment of wheezing in Brazil and allow comparisons between different participating centers.