Cystic Fibrosis and Breast Feeding

Being pregnant can open several questions especially when the expectant mother has some medical challenges like cystic fibrosis. Through this blogpost, we hope to clear out long-known myths and what can you do if you are cystic fibrosis carrier.



Before we dig deep into the topic, let us first define cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary condition characterized salty tasting skin, appetite but poor growth and poor weight gain, excess mucus production and coughing/shortness of breath. The condition causes progressive disability because of multisystem failure. Organs affected are exocrine (mucous) glands of the lungs, liver, pancreas, and intestines.

During pregnancy, anaesthesia applied on childbirth is epidural analgesia to avoid the use of general anaesthesia.

Breast feeding and Cystic Fibrosis

There is a myth that mothers with Cystic Fibrosis should not be allowed to do breast feeding for the fear of excessive sodium and salt content of the breast milk. This however has been disproved by doctors as the breast milk has been discovered to have normal composition and same with mothers who are non-CF carrier.

It should be taken into consideration however that breast feeding should be done only when the mother is healthy and when otherwise, attempts to breastfeed may be counterproductive for both the mother and the child. Bottle feeding is then suggested.

Carriers of cystic fibrosis gene nonetheless are healthy individuals unless they are CF sufferers. The gene mutation is quite common among those of white European ancestry with roughly 1 in 20 being carriers.