Normal pulmonary function after baby powder inhalation causing adult respiratory distress syndrome.

We report a case of baby powder inhalation (BPI), causing adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a 16-month-old girl, with follow-up after six years. Pulmonary function studies in the child and her monozygotic twin, used as a control, were normal. The testing consisted of diffusing capacity to carbon monoxide and body plethysmography, the latter performed prior to and following an exercise challenge. A review of the literature of talcum aspiration indicates that the management of this condition is largely supportive. The long-term effects of BPI remain unknown, since serial follow-up studies are not available.