How does ethnicity relate to cystic fibrosis?
People of all ethnicities may be cystic fibrosis carriers. However the risk that a person is a CF carrier varies by his/her ethnicity: European Caucasian 1 / 25 Ashkenazi Jewish 1 / 24 Hispanic American 1 / 58 African American 1 / 61 Asian American 1 / 94 When should I have cystic fibrosis carrier screening performed? It is recommended by the American College of Gynecology (ACOG) and American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) that all couples considering pregnancy be offered cystic fibrosis carrier screening. How is screening done? A small amount of blood is taken from one of your veins and tested for the 23 most common mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. Test results are usually available within one to two weeks. What does a positive result mean? A positive result means that you are a carrier for one of the 23 mutations tested for in the ACOG/ACMG-recommended cystic fibrosis carrier screening panel. To assess the risk of your child inheriting and developing CF, your partner should
