Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is a rare childhood interstitial lung disease characterized by a gradual onset of tachypnea, hypoxemia, and failure to thrive in the first 2 years of life. NEHI is challenging to diagnose and can masquerade as common respiratory infections and reactive airway disease. Timely diagnosis is essential to optimize management of comorbidities, improve outcomes, and prevent unnecessary interventions. We report a case of a 14-month-old male who was hospitalized multiple times with recurrent episodes of presumed bronchiolitis. However, early on, the parents had detected unexplained nighttime hypoxemia with a wearable home pulse oximetry baby monitor. While recurrent respiratory infections are common in infancy, our patient had numerous persistent symptoms refractory to traditional treatments, which prompted further workup and ultimately led to the diagnosis of NEHI. The home baby monitor provided useful information that accelerated workup for a presentation that did not fit the usual picture of recurrent bronchiolitis, bronchospasm, or pneumonia. These devices that monitor infant cardiopulmonary status and oxygenation are becoming increasingly popular for home use. There is controversy over their clinical utility due to the frequency of false alarms, excessive parental reliance on these devices, and lack of Food and Drug Administration oversight to ensure accuracy and effectiveness of these devices. Our case provides an example of how in certain clinical settings, information from these devices might serve as a complementary tool in the pediatrician’s medical decision-making and possibly lead to a rare diagnosis such as NEHI.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.