Paediatric Anaesthesia "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerabe in our society, a life free of pain andfear." Nelson Mandella The child is not a small scale adult (anatomically and physiologically). The child is a human being at the beginning of the growth, development and maturation continuum. The smaller the child, the greater the difference. r/--Narrow Nares Large Tongue .... -, High Glottis---+-~ Narrow Crico1d Ring ' I I I i I I I , , , ,/ ~-..--'" ~-Babies have: Large heads Large abdomens Small chests High 02 consumption Active airway reflexes Figure 13.1 Anatomical features in infants RESPIRATORY SYSTEM Anatomy 1. Head 2. Pharynx 3. Tongue 4. Epiglottis 5. Larynx 6. Cricoid 7. Trachea 8. Airways 9. Ribs : large occiput, flat nasal bridge, short neck : shallow naso pharynx with adenoids. Soft palate flaps on the roof of the pharynx, causing airway