If your child is coughing repeatedly or having problems gaining weight, it can certainly be a cause for concern---and it may signify cystic fibrosis. "Every year, a thousand babies in the United States are born with cystic fibrosis (CF), one of the most common inherited chronic conditions," says Dennis Clements, M.D., Ph.D., chief of primary care pediatrics at Duke Children's Hospital. Throughout the 21st century, researchers have been looking into this disease and developing new therapies, and KidsHealth.org says someday there may be a cure. In the meantime, if your child exhibits symptoms, have him diagnosed by a doctor.
Respiratory Problems
"Cystic fibrosis signs and symptoms can vary from child to child, depending on the severity of the disease," according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research's MayoClinic.com website. They say that for some kids, symptoms show up during infancy, while other children don't experience them until much later. However, kids who have CF are more vulnerable to getting lung infections repeatedly, because their bodies produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus that clogs airways and interferes with the breathing process. Infants and toddlers may consistently wheeze or cough, and older kids can experience repeated sinus infections.
Digestive Issues
The thick mucus experienced by a child with CF also stops the proper absorption of nutrients by blocking the flow of digestive enzymes from the pancreas to the small intestine. As a result, he may not gain weight at a normal rate, and his stools can be greasy and foul-smelling. Newborns can suffer from an intestinal blockage due to thick stool, while older kids can have a similar issue called distal intestinal obstruction syndrome, which can lead to a distended abdomen and pain similar to appendicitis.
Salty Skin
When you kiss a baby or child with CF, she may taste unusually salty. This is because kids with cystic fibrosis have an abnormally high concentration of sodium and chloride in their sweat. In fact, the first test usually done to determine if a child has CF is an hour-long sweat test, whereby her sweat is collected and then analyzed. Diagnosis can also be done through a blood test that looks for the cystic fibrosis gene from each parent.
