Cystic Fribrosis can cause symptoms soon after a baby is born. The first sign a baby might have cystic fibrosis is an intestinal blockage called meconium ileus. Other kids don’t have symptoms until later on. Cystic fibrosis can be mild or severe, depending on the person.
Symptoms in newborns may include:
- Delayed growth
- Failure to gain weight normally during childhood
- No bowel movements in first 24 to 48 hours of life
- Salty-tasting skin
Symptoms related to bowel function may include:
- Belly pain from severe constipation
- Increased gas, bloating, or a belly that appears swollen (distended)
- Nausea and loss of appetite
- Stools that are pale or clay-colored, foul smelling, have mucus, or that float
- Weight loss
Symptoms related to the lungs and sinuses may include:
- Coughing or increased mucus in the sinuses or lungs
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Nasal congestion caused by nasal polyps
- Recurrent nosebleeds
- Repeated episodes of pneumonia (symptoms of pneumonia in someone with cystic fibrosis include fever, increased coughing and shortness of breath, increased mucus, and loss of appetite)
- Sinus pain or pressure caused by infection or polyps
- Frequent lung infections
Symptoms that may be noticed later in life:
- Infertility (in men)
- Repeated inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Respiratory symptoms
- Clubbed fingers