EDITORIAL Lung development, lung growth and the future of respiratory

ost respiratory physicians will agree that the lung is a sexy organ and worthy of intense study. We under-stand its significance as an important biological system. Respiratory diseases are responsible for,50 % of acute medical conditions in children and rank second to cardiovas-cular disease in causing morbidity and mortality at a cost of well in excess of J100 billion to the European Community [1]. A major driver in research over the last two decades has been the unlocking of the so-called ‘‘silent period’ ’ in the preschool years where, until recently, there was a dearth of knowledge about early disease development, lung growth and physiology. As our knowledge increases, it is becoming apparent that these early years of life are extremely important, for it is the time during which many chronic respiratory diseases appear to have their origin. For example, persistent asthma arising from interaction