questions about my 7 year old
 

Hi,

My son is scheduled for a sodium chloride test next Monday. He's been sick with a nasty wet cough that doesn't really respond to any meds for almost six months. He's had lots of sinus and ear infections as well as pretty bad spring allergies.

I thought that children were usually diagnosed with CF as babies. Is it possible to have CF and not know about it until a child is seven years old?

We lost a child due to a congenital heart defect 10 years ago, so we're just sick over the possiblity of our little guy having CF.

Re: questions about my 7 year old
 

There are many cases where individuals aren't diagnosed until later in life. Some are misdiagnosed as having asthma, irritable bowel syndrome -- any number of illnesses. Even some aren't diagnosed until they are adults.

Is the sweat chloride test being conducted at an accredditted CF facility?

Re: questions about my 7 year old
 

It's being conducted at a children's hospital, I don't know how I find out if it's an accredited CF facility-

Re: questions about my 7 year old
 

You could check to see if there's a cystic fibrosis foundation chapter in your area.