Longitudinal Decline in Lung Volume in a Population of Children with Sickle Cell Disease

RATIONALE: Sickle cell disease (SCD) results in significant morbidity and mortality attributable to pulmonary complications. The pattern of lung function change across childhood in SCD is not well delineated. OBJECTIVES: To determine if the pattern of lung function in SCD differs from race-matched, predicted values across childhood, to describe that pattern of change, and to examine the effect of clinical covariates on lung function.