Possibility of CF

Question

My son is 7 years old, has chronic cough and does not gain weight easily (he weighs 20 kg and is 119 cm tall). Can we as parents check if he has CF? I was told that if I taste his sweat I will find out. My son’s sweat is not that salty. I have visited a paediatric pneumunologist in Thessaloniki. He told that my son does not appear to have CF, and that at such an age it would show! I still worry though.

Answer

Dear friend,
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystemic disease, where symptoms are presented from the pulmonary system (chronic productive cough, nasal polyps, finger clubbing, permanent x-ray findings, etc), the digestive system (meconium ileus, pancreatic insufficiency resulting to limited weight gain despite the fact that the patients eats well, smelly stool, rectum prolapsed, pancreatitis, etc) and the sweat glands (dehydration).
The diagnosis is set after the doctor has suspicions due to the above symptoms and asks for a sweat test.
Your child has good growth. Based on his age is height (119 cm) is in 75th percentile and his weight (20 kgr) in the 25th percentile.
Your child does not present symptoms from the digestive system, only cough. CF is not the only cause for the presentation of chronic cough, as there are much more frequent (e.g. chronic bronchial asthma) causes for this kind of coughing.
The fact that your child’s sweat is not salty (as in sea water) further reduces the chance for CF.
I do not believe that your child has CF and you do not need to worry.
The doctor you visited has the necessary knowledge and experience.
If you keep on worrying, you may call me on the phone to discuss your case at the CF Center of Agia Sofia Hospital.
Yours friendly,
Dr. Doudounakis

12.09.2015