Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease most common. It affects one newborn in 3500 births, or 200 new cases per year.

Diagnosed too late

His diagnosis is particularly difficult. Cystic fibrosis is manifested by recurrent respiratory infections, like bronchitis or bronchiolitis, and digestive disorders such as diarrhea and abdominal pain, gradually leading to nutritional deficits. These symptoms, which are very specific reasons why the disease is most often diagnosed too late (60% of cases are detected before the age of one year and 90% at 5 years). Even though we do not know how to cure this serious disease, the diagnosis is more, the more care is effective.

Screened at birth

The Health Insurance has announced the introduction of routine screening for cystic fibrosis for all newborns. Initiated in 2001, it will be widespread in 2002. With early diagnosis of this disease, the babies will receive better care, with the key, an improvement of the quality and life expectancy. The life of these patients has tripled over the past twenty years. It is now twenty years or thirty years, but with this new measure, it could quickly be increased to forty years.

The five conditions to detect

Currently four diseases are routinely screened at birth: phenylketonuria (since 1972), hypothyroidism (since 1978), adrenal hyperplasia (since 1995) and sickle cell anemia (since 1989 in the Dom-Tom and 1995 in France ). Added today, CF. Without additional blood sample, this detection should detect 95% of cases.