fatty stool

Frage

I have a 2.5 year-old son. Till his first year of life he was at 90th percentile of the weight-height curve, but now he is at the 50th. Last summer he had pneumonia for the first time and 2 months after diarrhea for 20 days that was treated with diet. Generally speaking he does not get sick easily. What worries me is that after the diarrhea his stool is fatty, it floats and it is smelly. Do you think that we need to get tested for CF?

Antwort

Dear friend,
You have a 2.5 years old boy who up to his first year of life he was at the 90th percentile of the weight-height curve, but now he is at the 50th. Last summer he presented with pneumonia and two months afterwards with diarrhea that was treated with diet after 20 days, but the stool remained fatty and smelly.
I do not think that there is anything to worry about regarding the weight of your son, not about the pneumonia, a disease that many children present. The gastrentelogic symptoms are due to the diarrhea incident.
As to your last question, the only test, with which one can exclude the possibility of CF, is a sweat test, something you can schedule ahead without any urgency. Again, I stress that, based on the medical history you describe, your child does not have CF.
Other useful information would be if an when your child started going to nursery and if there is history of CF in your family.
Yours friendly,
Dr. Stavros Doudounakis

22.12.2015