PULMONARY REFLEXES AND CONTROL OF BREATHING DURING DEVELOPMENT

The potency of the Hering-Breuer inspiratory-inhibitory and expiratory -promoting reflexes decreases with maturation in mammals. The Hering-B reuer deflation reflex is present at birth and its power changes littl e during postnatal development. Already during the second day of life the airway defence reflex resembles that of the adult rabbits. In cont rast, sensitivity of the pulmonary chemoreflex does not reach the adul t level by the end of the first week of life in newborns of the same s pecies. The time course of functional development of respiratory refle xes coincides with the maturity of different species at birth.