Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited condition. It causes some organs in the body, such as the lungs and pancreas, to produce thick mucus.
The mucus can build up in the lungs and cause chest infections. These infections can cause lung damage over time.
CF can cause other problems. For example, the mucus produced by the pancreas can stop digestive enzymes getting to the intestine. People with CF can find it hard to digest food or gain weight.
Babies born in Ireland with CF
Around 1 in 2,100 babies born in Ireland has CF.
How heel prick screening can help
Babies are checked for cystic fibrosis as part of heel prick screening. They are offered this screening when they are around 5 days old.
This test also checks for other conditions.
A midwife or nurse takes a few drops of blood from your baby's heel using a special device.
Important
Screening tests are not perfect. The heel prick test will not detect all babies with CF.
Speak to your GP if you think your baby may have signs of CF.
Genetic test
If the first screening test shows that your baby might be at risk of CF, the lab will do a follow-on screening test.
This is a genetic test.
If your baby's test results show that they may have CF
Your baby will see a doctor who specialises in children who have CF.
The doctor will do further tests to find out if your baby has CF.
Find out more about cystic fibrosis