Abstract
Congenital or acquired disorders of the pediatric airway can affect the upper, lower, or entire airway. There are fundamental differences between the anatomy and physiology of the neonate, pediatric, and adult airways. Infants are not merely small adults in this respect and size, surface area, proportion, resistance, and compliance vary greatly between the age groups. A clear understanding of these significant differences and how they affect patients dependent on age is key to appropriate management.