Cystic Fibrosis Brought Them Together but Keeps Them Apart

Zoe and Lee were then tested and found to both be carriers of CF. Since the chance for CF carriers to produce a child with the condition is only one in four, the couple decided to take the chance and have another child.

Unfortunately, their second child, Alfie, was also diagnosed with CF at 6 weeks of age.

“Why so long for a diagnosis?”, you might ask.

Kids in the U.S. and the U.K. are routinely tested for a number of childhood conditions, including CF, at or soon after birth. The test for CF is referred to as the Chloride Sweat Test. However, as KidsHealth tells us, a sweat test done during a baby's first month might need to be repeated because newborns may not produce enough sweat to ensure reliable results.

Zoe and Lee had the kids tested for CF via heel prick at 6 weeks of age due to their lung congestion’s interfering with sleep and feeding.