cystic fibrosis facts

harmonie · Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 21

Hi, I am a concerned mother. I have a one year old daughter. Recently I overheard something about cystic fibrosis. This knowledge disturbed me very much. Someone even told me that children with cystic fibrosis live only few years. Can you please tell me something more about this illness? How can I protect my child from this illness?

cheri · Veteran Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 550

Hi, cystic fibroses is a serious illness. It is inheritable. All the children diagnosed with cystic fibroses have parents who are carriers of CF gens. Both mother and father have to have this gene. This condition causes the mucus, which is produced as a barrier against infections, to change its features and actually cause the infections of the organs. Lungs and pancreas are mostly infected. There isn't a cure for cystic fibrosis. The treatment consists of treating the infections. It must be regular. However, often infections damage the organs. Eventually they stop to function. Life expectancy in people with cystic fibrosis is between thirty and forty years. It may sound that it is short, but people used to live only few years with this condition. I am sure that soon new discoveries will be made and cystic fibrosis will be curable. The best thing you can do is to have your daughter tested for presence of the cystic fibrosis mutated genes. If she hasn't expressed any symptoms so far, I think that you have nothing to worry about.

cystic fibrosis facts

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