What is the best diet for a child with cystic fibrosis?

Calorie Intake

Children with CF may need 2,000-2,800 calories daily. It is important to remember that a balanced diet is vital for the whole family. This includes dairy products; grains and starches; fruits and vegetables; and proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and peanut butter.

What is the best diet for cystic fibrosis?

Nutrient Know-How

Like everyone else, guys and girls who have CF should eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and veggies, whole grains, dairy products, and protein. In addition, people with CF have some specific nutritional needs to help them stay healthy.

What should kids with cystic fibrosis eat?

Like other children, those with CF should eat a balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and protein. High-fat, high-calorie foods and snacks; foods with extra salt and low in sugar, can benefit children and teens with CF.

What foods should be avoided with cystic fibrosis?

Dietary Restrictions

As with any diet, eating foods with empty calories (such as sugar-laden drinks) is not recommended on the cystic fibrosis diet. People with CF need to eat a balanced diet with a variety of bright-colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, whole-fat dairy products, and healthy protein.

What snacks can kids with cystic fibrosis have?

Offer high-calorie snacks like trail mix, full-fat yogurt with granola, fruit with peanut butter, or whole-grain pita chips with hummus. Avoid low-calorie, low-nutrition snacks like fruit snacks, pretzels, or snack cakes.

Cystic fibrosis and nutrition | CF LIVE

Why milk is good for cystic fibrosis?

Calcium. Kids with CF, especially those with pancreatic insufficiency, are at risk for osteopenia or osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones). Dairy products are good sources of calcium (and the full-fat varieties also are good sources of fat and calories).

Can kids with CF have pets?

Children with Cystic Fibrosis can have a cat or a dog as long as they are not allergic to pet dander. Most children enjoy the company of a pet and it also provides them with an opportunity to go out and play with the pet and get some exercise for themselves at the same time.

How do you slow down cystic fibrosis?

What triggers cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease. This means that CF is inherited. Mutations in a gene called the CFTR (cystic fibrosis conductance transmembrane regulator) gene cause CF. The CFTR mutations causes changes in the body's cell's electrolyte transport system.

What causes cystic fibrosis flare ups?

As your body's immune system tries to fight these trapped germs, your lungs can become inflamed or swollen. Infections can cause CF symptoms to get worse for a period of time, also known as flare-ups. Over time, repeated infections may even cause lung damage.

Does drinking water help cystic fibrosis?

Keeping well hydrated can help to keep the mucus in the lungs thinner and make your airway clearance easier, as well as help keep food moving through your gut. There is some evidence that people with CF do not always feel thirsty when their bodies need more fluid.

What snack would you recommend for your patient with cystic fibrosis?

Cheese sticks and single servings (peel-and-eat varieties such as Gouda, cheddar, and string cheeses). Single servings of whole-milk cottage cheese. Whole-milk yogurt and yogurt drinks. Hummus in a small container and pita bread cut into triangles.

How can you prevent cystic fibrosis from getting worse?

Physical therapy, exercise, and medications are used to reduce the mucus block age of the lung's airways. physical therapy are available com mercially. Exercise also helps to loosen the mucus, stimulate cough ing to clear the mucus, and improve the patient's overall physical condition.

What vitamin helps cystic fibrosis?

People with CF also need to get water-soluble vitamins, which include vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins, folic acid, biotin, and pantothenic acid. They are called water-soluble because they are easily absorbed with water in the body.

Is high protein good for cystic fibrosis?

Individuals with cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases often have a “hidden” loss of muscle mass, despite normal body weight and BMI. Increasing your protein intake and exercising regularly are easy ways to preserve muscle mass.

Does cystic fibrosis get worse with age?

Outlook. Cystic fibrosis tends to get worse over time and can be fatal if it leads to a serious infection or the lungs stop working properly. But people with cystic fibrosis are now living for longer because of advancements in treatment. Currently, about half of people with cystic fibrosis will live past the age of 40.

What kills people with cystic fibrosis?

In cystic fibrosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a much-feared pathogen. The bacterium easily colonizes the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, leading to chronic infections that are almost impossible to eradicate and are ultimately fatal.

Which parent passes cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease. This means that CF is inherited. A child will be born with CF only if two CF genes are inherited - one from the mother and one from the father. A person who has only one CF gene is healthy and said to be a "carrier" of the disease.

What are the worst symptoms of cystic fibrosis?

Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death. Acute exacerbations. People with cystic fibrosis may experience worsening of their respiratory symptoms, such as coughing with more mucus and shortness of breath. This is called an acute exacerbation and requires treatment with antibiotics.

What is the best exercise for cystic fibrosis?

Children with CF should be encouraged to take part in as much physical activity as possible, ideally types of exercise that leave you out of breath, such as running, swimming, football or tennis, although there are a wide range of suitable activities.

Are we close to a cure for CF?

Currently there's no cure for rare types of cystic fibrosis, but researchers are making significant advances. Current treatments for cystic fibrosis are not suitable for all patients.

What is the lifespan of someone with CF?

Lung disease eventually worsens to the point where the person is disabled. 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.

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.

Is CF a disability?

The Social Security Administration recognizes cystic fibrosis as a serious impairment in its Blue Book under Section 3.04. Applicants with cystic fibrosis are eligible for automatic approval of disability benefits if they suffer from poor lung function and repetitive lung infections.

Can kids with CF be near each other?

That's why it's important for people with CF to stay at least 6 feet away from others with CF and anyone with a cold, flu, or infection. For people with CF, being close to others with the disease puts them at greater risk of getting and spreading dangerous germs and bacteria. This is called cross‐infection.