How rare is it to be a cystic fibrosis carrier?

About 1 out of every 30 Caucasians, and 1 out of every 65 African Americans are carriers of a CF mutation. If both parents, are carriers for CF, a future child could get two mutations, (C) one from each parent and therefore have cystic fibrosis.

What are the odds of being a cystic fibrosis carrier?

It is estimated that approximately 1 in 35 Americans is a carrier of the CFTR gene mutation, which means more than 10 million Americans are cystic fibrosis carriers.

Can you be a carrier of cystic fibrosis and not have it?

A person with one non-functional copy of the gene is a carrier. Carriers for CF have no symptoms, but can pass the non-functioning gene on to their children. An individual must inherit two non-functioning CF genes – one from each parent – to have CF.

Will my baby have cystic fibrosis if I am a carrier?

To have cystic fibrosis, a child must inherit one copy of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutation from each parent. People who have only one copy of a CFTR gene mutation do not have CF. They are called "CF carriers."

How common is it to carry the CF gene?

About 10 million people in the United States are CF carriers. CF carriers can pass their copy of the CFTR gene mutation to their children. Each time two CF carriers have a child together, the chances are: 25 percent (1 in 4) the child will have CF.

Cystic Fibrosis and Carrier Screening Explainer

What does it mean if I'm a carrier of cystic fibrosis?

This means that your baby is a carrier of a changed CF gene. A carrier does not have the disease cystic fibrosis. A carrier will not develop signs or symptoms of cystic fibrosis. However, as a parent of a cystic fibrosis carrier, you may still be at risk to have a child who has cystic fibrosis in a future pregnancy.

Are male CF carriers infertile?

Most men with CF (97 to 98%) are infertile because of an absence of the sperm canal, known as congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). The sperm never make it into the semen, making it impossible for them to reach and fertilize an egg through intercourse.

What gender is cystic fibrosis most common in?

Males account for slightly more than 50 percent of all cases of cystic fibrosis (CF) but generally have better outcomes than females until about age 20. After that, men and women experience roughly equal outcomes for long-term survival. Still, males with CF tend to live an average of 2 years longer than females.

Is CF inherited from mother or father?

Genetics and Diagnosis

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease. People with CF have inherited two copies of the defective CF gene — one copy from each parent. Both parents must have at least one copy of the defective gene.

What if only one parent is a CF carrier?

People with one CF gene are called carriers. If a parent is a carrier, there's a 50 percent chance they'll pass on the gene with a mutation to their child. If both parents pass on a normal gene, or only one parent passes a gene with a mutation, the child will not have CF.

Are CF carriers healthy?

Risk versus probability

This study points out that CF carriers are somewhat more likely than non-carriers to have certain health issues. However, the probability that you will actually get one of these conditions is still very low. For example, the study shows CF carriers have a higher risk for pancreatitis.

Am I cystic fibrosis if my sister is a carrier?

If somebody in your family has CF or is a carrier, other relatives will be carriers. The chance of relatives being CF carriers depends on their relationship to the person who is a carrier or who has CF. The chance of anybody in the population being a carrier of CF (even if they have no family history of CF) is 1 in 25.

How did I become a CF carrier?

Cystic fibrosis is inherited. This means it is passed down from parent to child through the genes. Your baby inherited a normal CF gene (N) from one parent, and a mutation of a CF gene (C) from the other parent. This means at least one parent (mother or father) is also a CF carrier.

Who is most at risk for getting CF?

Risk factors

Because cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder, it runs in families, so family history is a risk factor. Although CF occurs in all races, it's most common in white people of Northern European ancestry.

What is the longest someone has lived with cystic fibrosis?

Marlene's Story of Living 86 Years With CF | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Can a carrier have symptoms?

Does a genetic carrier have symptoms? The traditional view has been that a genetic carrier will not exhibit symptoms of the disorder. However, the scientific understanding of genetic disorders has since evolved to show that carriers may go on to develop physical symptoms.

What race is cystic fibrosis by?

Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease within the white population in the United States. The disease occurs in 1 in 2,500 to 3,500 white newborns. Cystic fibrosis is less common in other ethnic groups, affecting about 1 in 17,000 African Americans and 1 in 31,000 Asian Americans.

Is cystic fibrosis an STD?

No. Cystic fibrosis isn't contagious. It's a genetic disorder, not an infection.

How long is the average lifespan of a person with cystic fibrosis?

Today, the average life span for people with CF who live to adulthood is about 44 years. Death is most often caused by lung complications.

Should a woman with cystic fibrosis have a baby?

With proper management, careful monitoring, and working closely with your care team and obstetric team, many women with cystic fibrosis can carry a child without significantly affecting their long-term health.

How many people are carriers of CF?

In the U.S., the chances of being a carrier of a CFTR mutation are: 1 in 29 Caucasian-Americans. 1 in 46 Hispanic-Americans.

What health issues do cystic fibrosis carriers have?

They can include lung function decline, intestinal obstruction, diabetes, and pancreatic dysfunction. The extent of a person's symptoms can be affected by modifier genes, which do not directly cause cystic fibrosis but can affect how they experience disease.

How accurate is genetic testing for cystic fibrosis?

A positive genetic carrier test for CF means that a person has an altered copy of the CF gene; this result is more than 99% accurate.

How accurate is carrier screening?

Some tests are more accurate than others. On average, carrier screens have a detection rate greater than 90%.