What is the Purpose of Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Testing?
The purpose of CF carrier testing is to see if a couple is at increased risk for giving birth to a child who will have CF. Cystic fibrosis carrier testing is a laboratory test done on a sample of blood or saliva. If testing shows that a couple is at high risk, additional testing can be done on the developing baby to see whether or not it will have CF. However, most women’s test results are normal. Cystic fibrosis cannot be treated before birth. The purpose of having this information about your developing baby is so you can prepare yourself to care for a child with special health care needs. If My Test Result Is Normal, Could I Still Be a Carrier? Yes. There are some mutations in the CF gene that the current test cannot find. For this reason, you could be told your test result is normal and you could still be a carrier. Like most medical tests, this one has limitations because not all CF mutations are known. However, these unknown CF mutations are rare. The likelihood that you are a car
