NJ Cystic Fibrosis Attorneys

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a congenital disorder. According to widely cited studies, nearly one out of every 2,000 infants born in the US and Western Europe test positive for the condition. Affected individuals suffer with excessive mucus produced in the pancreas, digestive system, lungs, and other organs.

A person born with CF can expect on average to live into his/her 30s. With advances in iron lung technologies, genetic therapies, and other tests and medications, some researchers believe that the average CF baby born today might be higher.

Genetic Testing

Genetic screening tests are available to rule out whether one or both parents are CF carriers. Typically, one parent is tested first for the recessive gene associated with CF. If the parent tests positive, the other parent should be tested as well. Alternatively, tests can be performed in utero during embryonic and fetal development. When the newborn infant is born, doctors can also perform what’s known as a “sweat test” to determine whether an at-risk infant may in fact have Cystic Fibrosis.

Living with Cystic Fibrosis

CF afflicted patients are susceptible to lung infections, problems with pancreas, liver, and bile ducts and intestinal issues. Treatment options have evolved significantly over the past 30 years. Antibiotics, inhalants, nutrition programs, intravenous drugs, and therapies to treat secondary and tertiary problems associated with CF have helped patients who suffer from this severe and painful disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure.

Find Out If You Have a Claim

Dealing with the medical, financial, and emotional repercussions of having a child born with CF can be overwhelming. If a healthcare provider was negligent in failing to alert you of the need for certain prenatal screening tests, or, if errors were made in the prenatal screening process, there exists a possibility to pursue legal action to recover damages for the child’s extraordinary life care expenses and damages for emotional distress.

Contact the experienced cystic fibrosis attorneys at Blume Forte today to discuss your options.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• What Is Cystic Fibrosis? – National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Learning About Cystic Fibrosis – National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
• Cystic Fibrosis – MedlinePlus