Guideline Video

Guideline Resources

  • Classification, Evaluation, and Management of Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease in Infancy
  • American Thoracic Society
  • July 24, 2026
  • Summary
  • Full-text

Video Transcription

Just published July 24th, 2026, the American Thoracic Society’s newest guideline update on Classification, Evaluation, and Management of Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease in Infancy.

This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for genetic testing, chest imaging, lung biopsy, and referral for lung transplant evaluation to improve the diagnostic evaluation and management of children <2 years with childhood interstitial lung diseases (chILD).

In today’s rapid update, we’ll just be going over a summary of current 2026 recommendations so for the full guideline and recommendations, make sure to check it out on guidelinecentral.com

Let’s get started. 

Starting with the section on Genetic

  • Recommend rapid and broad genetic testing for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome and respiratory failure for whom potentially fatal chILD disorders are considered.
  • Suggest genetic testing for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome be performed prior to invasive diagnostic intervention.
  • Suggest genetic testing for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome for whom lung biopsy histopathology features were suggestive of a monogenic chILD disorder.

Next the section on Imaging

  • Suggest that CT be part of the diagnostic evaluation for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome.

Then the section on Biopsy

  • Suggest surgical lung biopsy for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome for whom other diagnostic interventions have not identified a specific chILD disorder and whose critical condition is not improving.
  • Recommend surgical lung biopsy for infants and children <2 years with chILD syndrome for whom there is clinical urgency to identify a specific chILD disorder and genetic testing is not feasible, inconclusive or timely, to identify histopathological “treatable traits”.

On to the section on Lung Transplantation

  • Recommend early referral for lung transplant evaluation in infants and children with specific monogenic chILD disorders with predictable poor outcomes.
  • Suggest early referral for lung transplant evaluation in infants for infants and children with chILD syndrome requiring mechanical ventilation or ECMO or with progressive pulmonary hypertension, or a specific chILD disorder with progressive respiratory symptoms or impending respiratory failure.

And last the section on Continuing Clinical Care

  • Suggest repeat chest CT to aid decision making, prognosis, or change therapies targeting specific “treatable traits.”

And there you have it. Make sure to check out the full guideline from the American Thoracic Society and other related clinical decision support tools at guidelinecentral.com.

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