Cystic Fibrosis Childhood Disease

Cystic Fibrosis The first childhood disease that I choose to discuss in my Flex Assignment is Cystic Fibrosis, or commonly known as CF for short. CF is and abnormality in the movement of sodium chloride in the body, which causes thick and sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. Symptoms of CF are coughing, continuous lung infections, inability to gain weight, and constant fatigue. Later on in development, a big sign would be slow growth. CF is cause by a gene passing from both mom and dad. If only one parent has the gene, the baby will be a CF carrier, but will not have the condition. If a baby does have CF, he/she will have signs such as wheezing, shortness of breath, salty skin, stomach pain or bloating. Infants and young children with CF get lung infections very often, usually from bacteria that wouldn’t normally affect a healthy baby. Antibiotics do not normally get rid of the bacteria in the lungs of someone with CF. Antibiotics will in return damage the lungs. Treatment for children with CF can vary depending on their diagnoses. Some examples of medicines would be ibuprofen used to reduce the swelling which helps with breathing, and a mucus thinner. Cystic Fibrosis is a life threatening disease. People with Cystic Fibrosis have a life expectancy of 37 years. Some live to be older, but most cases people do not have the longest life. CF is most commonly found in white people in the United States. Interesting face, patients who both have CF cannot be in the same room as each other, so when they have infections and have to be hospitalized, they have to be separated. Leukemia Leukemia, otherwise known as the “blood cancer”, is when blood forming tissues stop the body from being able to fight off infections. Patients with slowly growing conditions have no symptoms at all. Rapidly growing cases on the other hand, have quite a few symptoms such as fatigue, frequent infections, weight loss, and easily bruised. Pain in the joints and bones may also occur. Common treatments for childhood leukemia are chemotherapy, stem cell transplant and blood transfusion, but it can also be case by case. There are many people on the team of doctors for children with leukemia, such a pediatric oncologist, a cancer doctor, and many specialist depending on the child’s diagnosis. The child’s care team will be the first place to go for information because every case does differ so much. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are the most common childhood cancers. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is caused by a bone marrow cell error in DNA. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, bone pain, bruising, frequent infections, and bleeding from the gums. On the other hand, acute myeloid leukemia is a rapid form, when the myeloid cells affecting white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets produce correctly. Sickle Cell …show more content…
This is very painful and a serious thing. Hand-foot syndrome can also be cause by sickle cell. Hand-foot is the lack of blood flow to the feet and hands, causing swelling and cold hands and feet. The most common effect of sickle cell disease is pain episodes, caused by sickle cells blocking the flow of blood. This is painful because of the lack of oxygen. Lastly, a stroke can also occur the blood flow to the brain is …show more content…
Spina Bifida cannot be cured but it can be maintained with treatment and also has to be diagnosed by a doctor. Symptoms of spina bifida are visible on the outside, such as a birthmark and a protruding spinal cord. Some internal symptoms are muscle weakness, skin cysts and urinary tract infections. Commonly, people with spina bifida will have hunched back, nerve injuries, physical deformities, and can be paralyzed on the lower half of the body. Treatment for spina bifida is necessary. Treatment requires surgery, which includes closing up the defect in the spine. Many children with spina bifida can walk, but use extra help such as crutches, braces and walkers. Movement treatment for children with spina bifida can be started right after they are born. Spina bifida can also be detected during pregnancy. Prenatal tests can be done to determine whether your child has spina bifida. In the United States, about 1,500 to 2,000 babies are born with spina bifida every