Parents of children with cystic fibrosis may be anxious about whether a school or day care can accommodate their child's special needs. Students with CF may worry about being different from their peers. As a teacher, you can provide reassurance to both parents and students by working with them and CF health care professionals to maximize your student's overall learning experience, while helping to maintain his or her health.
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Learn about cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other organs, and how to treat and live with this chronic disease.
Gyms are wonderful places to exercise, but they can also be great places for germs. Germs can spread as far as six feet (two meters) through droplets released in the air by coughs or sneezes, and can remain in the air on tiny droplets -- ready to be breathed in.
If your child has cystic fibrosis, chances are you have some concerns about school fitness activities like physical education classes or school sports teams. Even though some people with CF have trouble breathing and tire easily, exercise can be especially important.
All too often, we begin an exercise program but quickly quit. Change doesn't happen all at once, nor does it happen at the same rate for different people. Starting at the right pace is important, and knowing your fitness level, or state of readiness, is key to finding the exercise plan that's right for you.
Individuals with cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases often have a “hidden” loss of muscle mass, despite normal body weight and BMI. Increasing your protein intake and exercising regularly are easy ways to preserve muscle mass.
Every person has two copies of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. A person must inherit two copies of the CFTR gene that contain mutations — one copy from each parent — to have cystic fibrosis.
In an international research project, scientists are examining cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations to determine which ones cause CF and to provide additional information associated with these mutations. Their findings are available in an online searchable database.
Carrier (or genetic) testing not only plays a key role in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, but testing also allows parents to find out what their chances are of having a child with CF to help inform important family planning decisions.
Newborn screening (NBS) is a program run by each state to identify babies born with certain health conditions, including cystic fibrosis. Although a sweat test should ultimately be done to rule out or confirm a CF diagnosis, NBS can help you and your health care providers take immediate steps to keep your child as healthy as possible.