I Was Told Today That I Carry the Gene for Cystic Fibrosis, I Am 5 Months Pregnant, What Does That Mean?
Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at
12:46 pm
Shay H asked:
They want to test my husband for the gene as well, they said I don’t have cystic fibrosis but i carry the gene, does that mean my baby will have it?
Tagged with: 5 Months • Cystic Fibrosis • Pregnant
Filed under: Cystic Fibrosis
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Why don’t you ask these questions when you are there? It means your baby COULD have it.
It means you carry the gene, and it’s possible, but by no means is that a for-sure thing. Don’t worry too much!
The reason they want to test your husband is they want to know if he also has the gene for cystic fibrosis (means he’s a carrier, just like you…but you do not have cystic fibrosis…)
And if your husband is also a carrier, its means Your babyy could have cystic fibrosis. If he’s not a carrier…what you’ll have is a prefectly health baby…
Your baby will only have cystic fibrosis if your husband carries the gene as well. Get him tested and hopefully he won’t be a carrier and then you will be safe.
If your husband also carries the gene, your baby has a 1 in 4 chance of having cystic fibrosis, a 1 in 4 chance of not having the gene at all, and a 2 in 4 chance of being a carrier.
If your husband doesn’t also have the gene mutation, your baby will be a carrier at most.
1 in 25 white people are carriers. Being a carrier is different than having the disease, as a carrier has one copy of the gene and no symptoms.
Still scary, though, to hear. Best wishes for your continued health and that of your baby’s.
In order for your child to inherit CF, both you and your husband would need to be carriers of the defective gene. The child would have to inherit the gene from both you and your husband.