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| | | | All Ontario newborns now screened for cystic fibrosis |
WINDSOR -- For one Windsor child, an early cystic fibrosis diagnosis strengthened her battle with the fatal genetic disease.
Eight-year-old Virginia is doing "absolutely wonderfully" today, her mother Bonnie Kondratowicz said, despite a rigorous routine of treatments and pills she must take on a daily basis.
Virginia was diagnosed with CF, the most common genetic disease among children and young adults in Canada, when she was a newborn. Had doctors not detected CF right away, Kondratowicz is not sure how well Virginia would be today.
That's why the mother of two said she was happy to learn that all babies born in Ontario will now be screened for CF.
The test was rolled out last week as part of the province's newborn screening program and will ensure that affected babies get necessary treatment as early as possible.
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation applauded the move, saying diagnosing and treating CF before symptoms emerge can improve life expectancy for people with CF and help them live more productive lives.
"I would say it's a big relief for families," Kondratowicz said. "There are so many kids that are diagnosed late and it causes them a lot of problems later on."
Ontario is the second Canadian province, after Alberta, to offer CF screening for newborns. British Columbia and Saskatchewan are also looking into making the screening available.
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation estimates that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has CF. Approximately 60 per cent of children are diagnosed in their first year and 90 per cent are diagnosed by the time they turn 10.
Virginia undergoes daily therapy, which includes the use of a nebulizer -- a device that allows her to inhale medicine through a mouthpiece or mask -- and must take pills every time she eats, her mother said.
CF primarily affects the lungs and the digestive system. A buildup of thick mucous in the lungs causes severe breathing problems, infections and inflammations. The disease also blocks the absorption of nutrients from food in the digestive tract. As a result, those living with CF must take an average of 20 pills a day with every meal and follow a strict therapy routine to decongest their lungs.
According to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, about 3,500 children, adolescents and adults across Canada currently attend specialized CF clinics. Locally, there are about 33 CF patients, said Chantelle Foreman, development co-ordinator at the Windsor chapter of the CF foundation.
There is no known cure, but improvements in treatment programs have been able to drastically extend the lives of CF patients. Many are now living into their 20s and 30s. As of 2002, the median age of survival for CF patients is 37.
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