Pregnancy and CF

Question

I am a CF patient, 36 years old and turning 37 in April, married and already have two children (12 and 8 years old). Now it “happened” again: I am pregnant again. If I were healthy, I would be very happy, but I have CF. Last year I was in very bad health after a severe lung bleeding, but I recovered and am doing quite well now, except I sometimes have blood in my sputum. The gynaecologist says I am 6+3 weeks pregnant. I do not know what to do; my husband actually does not want another child for fear about me and my health. Which drugs can one take during pregnancy, and can one do an i.v. antibiosis? I have so many questions…

Answer

Dear questioner,

You are describing your problem, which cannot be solved in a purely medical way. Your health, family, and life situation (the latter understandably being rather emotional) add up and seem to make you very anxious, which is very reasonable and can be inferred from your question. The internet is not suited for providing an answer here, and I strongly recommend you talk to your CF doctor or another doctor you trust. Only in a conversation can your health situation be documented properly and your husband’s inner wishes considered as well. Then you will also feel stronger again and make the decision that is right for you. If you would prefer to talk to a doctor from a different CF centre, you should do this as soon as possible. [Translator’s note: the expert suggested making an appointment or getting a phone consultation at the local CF clinic; contact information was provided; since this information is relevant only locally, it was skipped in the translation.]

You, as a CF patient, have already had two pregnancies which apparently went well; you have certainly been a good mother for 12 years now, and hence you have a lot of life experience that I am sure will help you to make the right decisions with the support of a doctor.

And now a brief medical answer concerning the medication, esp. the use of antibiotics, for pregnant women: there are a number of drugs that can also be taken during pregnancy without any harm for mother or child.

I hope I could help you a bit with my comments.

Kind regards
Dr. Christina Smaczny

14.05.2012