What is CF?

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the respiratory & digestive systems.  There is excessive thick mucus that clogs the lungs and blocks enzymes from reaching the intestines for food digestion.

Can you "catch" CF?

No!  It's a genetic disease so you can only get CF if both parents pass you the CF gene.  You can be a carrier of the gene and not have CF.
Here's a matrix I learned to show who can get CF:
Both Parent 1 and 2 are carriers of the CF defective gene (CF).   If only one parent is a carrier, then they cannot have a child with CF, but can pass on the defective gene.

Parent 1





CF
cf
CF=Defective CF gene
Parent 2
CF
CF-CF
cf-CF

cf=normal gene
cf
CF-cf
cf-cf
Child with CF



Child without CF but carrying CF gene



Child without CF and not carrying gene


Learn more about CF from the experts: 
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation:  www.cff.org

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