WVU Physicians of Charleston Pediatrics Hosts Annual Cystic Fibrosis Family Education Day

Faculty and staff of the West Virginia University Physicians of Charleston Pediatrics Department hosted  a Cystic Fibrosis Family Education Day in September. The annual event welcomes cystic fibrosis families to learn more about the disease and the services available at the WVU Cystic Fibrosis Center, as well as to network with other families and vendors that offer services.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that:

• Clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; and

• Obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body breakdown and absorb food.

More than 10 million Americans are silent carriers of the defective CF gene and remain symptomless. About 25 percent of children born to parents carrying the CF gene are affected with the disease. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have improved the quality and duration of life for children and adults with CF with average life expectancy of 41 years of age.