Infant Cystic Fibrosis

What Causes This Condition?

Normally, cystic fibrosis gets passed down due to genetics. Basically, you inherit infant cystic fibrosis. As a chronic condition, this means that it can last for one year or even longer. In some cases, an individual will experience gene change. Parents also have the ability to pass gene changes onto their children. In some cases, the gene change doesn’t work in the way that it should. To have infant cystic fibrosis, they will have to inherit the CF gene from both parents. Experts estimate that one out of every 20 people carries the CF gene.

Ways to Tell if Your Child Has Cystic Fibrosis

As a way of screening children, doctors will test them for rare diseases and other diseases that they might have. During the test, the doctor will take a couple of drops of blood, put it on a special type of paper, and send it to the lab for testing. Next, the results get sent back, and they can tell if there’s anything wrong.

If your child has cystic fibrosis, the doctors will begin treatment almost immediately (within one to three days of the diagnosis).

The Telltale Signs of Cystic Fibrosis

Some of the biggest signs that your child has this condition include:

  • Salty skin
  • Slow growth and weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Stomach pain
  • Bloating
  • Bad smelling stool

While one or two symptoms may not be a definite sign of cystic fibrosis, you should have your doctor examine your child to ensure that they don’t have this condition. The sooner you treat baby cystic fibrosis, the better the outcome of this birth injury.

Along with proper treatment, feeding your child, a balanced diet can go a long way with treating this birth disorder. Luckily, this condition isn’t a case of cerebral palsy. But, you should still take it seriously and get a diagnosis as soon as possible so that you can begin treatment. In some cases, you may be entitled to financial assistance. You want your baby to live as comfortable and as happy a life as possible. To promote healthy growth, children with this condition will often be given special medication. Additionally, they will have a high-calorie diet specified by their pediatrician and loaded with vitamins.