Wind instrument

Question

Our 5 year old child would like to learn a wind instrument. Is it good or bad for a CF patient to play a wind instrument with regards to the pressure on the lungs, etc.?
And would it be better to use a plastic flute instead of a wooden flute since wood does not dry that quickly with regard to the danger of Pseudomonas?
Thank you for your answer!

Answer

Hello,

Playing a wind instrument can train the respiratory muscles and it is known that a child’s physical and mental development is supported in a positive way. Therefore, it can be recommended for children with CF to learn a wind instrument, however a potential existing overinflation of the lungs has to be considered. Depending on the kind of wind instrument completely different pressures in the airways are generated. Therefore, it should be known if your child has areas of overinflation that are shown in the imaging. In this case a wind instrument with less resistance requiring lower air pressure and volume is more suitable. The music school can give you competent information about this. Regarding the germ situation the plastic flute is better than the wooden flute in my opinon because it can be desinfected more easily, even if germs do not survive for a long time at the dry surface of wood. The most important point is that the instrument is not interchanged and is only used by your child and nobody else.

Best regards,
Helmut Ellemunter

23.06.2010