Parents may seek a second opinion. Doctors will be happy to provide a second opinion, particularly for parents who have not yet had the chance to visit a special clinic for CF.
There is no evidence that alternative therapies can do anything to help CF. it is essential for the future health of the child that conventional medicines are given in the prescribed way.
It’s important to try not to overprotected a child with CF and to remember she is a normal child who happens to have CF. she will be naughty and have all the same emotions as other children, and there’s no reason to treat her differently in relation to discipline, education, or physical activities. Parents who do will not only be doing her a disservice, but also be creating problems for themselves in the long run. A child with chronic illness can greatly strain a relationship, so it’s important for parents to talk openly with each other.
Learning about CF Much of the treatment for CF is carried out at home, and to be as effective as possible, parents should try to understand as much as they can about the disorder. CF is a complicated condition, however, and each child will be differently affected, so other people’s experiences may differ. Parents should bear in mind that they can’t expect to know everything immediately and no one will expect them to. Moreover, they will be given a huge amount of information and advice from various sources, some of which will be conflicting.
DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS
The pancreas, a gland in the abdomen, produces insulin, which passes directly into the blood, and digestive juices or enzymes, which pass into the intestines, where they help with the digestion of food. In CF, the small channels down which these juices flow to reach the intestine become blocked with sticky mucus. The enzymes build up in the pancreas, which becomes inflamed, resulting in the formation of cysts and thickened tissue, which is known as fibrosis.
Treatment most of the missing digestive enzymes can be replaced with pancreatin, which is given in a powder or capsule form. For a young baby, the powder can be mixed with water or milk and given before each feeding from a spoon or feeding bottle. It should not be mixed with a whole bottle of milk, because it will curdle the milk. Once the baby is on solids, she should eat whatever the rest of the family is having. Vitamins are not well absorbed in CF, so the child will need a dose of vitamin drops each day. The child’s managing physician or pediatrician can recommend an appropriate type.
