Foundation urges newborn screening for CF in test panels.

2004 NOV 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has issued a recommendation for the implementation of routine cystic fibrosis (CF) screening in all newborns.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued a recommendation in its October 15, 2004, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Reports and Recommendations that all states should consider routine screening for CF in all newborns.

CF Foundation-supported research and peer-reviewed evidence conducted and gathered over the past 2 decades have demonstrated the benefits of newborn screening for CF. People with CF who are diagnosed at birth gain more weight and have better nutrition than those who are diagnosed later in life. Better nutrition and weight gain in children with CF have been linked to a slower decline in respiratory function, the primary cause of death in CF.

Advances in CF treatment and care have had a significant impact on the length and quality of life for people with CF. Research on newborn screening for CF has shown further clinical benefit when therapeutic interventions were administered near the beginning of life.

Early diagnosis allows a special high-calorie, high-fat diet, along with pancreatic enzyme and fat soluble vitamin supplementation to begin immediately, if needed, before digestive complications occur. Better nutrition has been linked to improved height and weight measurements, better pulmonary status, and cognitive benefits.

"It is imperative that states add newborn screening for CF to their test panels to give people with this disease the best odds at living longer, healthier lives," said Robert J. Beall, PhD, president and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. "The CF Foundation is prepared to be a resource of knowledge and expertise for states as they consider this important recommendation and begin implementing newborn screening for CF."

Although new therapies and specialized care have extended the lives of people with CF, the average age of diagnosis - approximately 3 years - has remained the same. Traditionally, children with CF are not diagnosed unless CF has been present in a family's history or until symptoms appear. In many cases, delayed diagnosis has resulted in irreversible ...