"Bugs
You just never know when a bacteria will spread between those with cf. If you are around others with cf, you are taking a chance that your child might catch a bacteria they have.
Both of my children as well as my nephew have cf, so this spreading germs between them is a concern for us. I do not keep my children separated as it is nearly impossible. They do not share the same drinks, etc, however. My daughter has always just cultured staph. My son did not culture staph until he was two. So it took two years for him to culture her bacteria. But I still don't even know if he cultured it from her. After all, where did she culture it from?? My son has now cultured psuedomonas twice. Once at his first birthday and now this past month. He also cultured E. Coli for his first year and my daughter never did.
We spent a weekend with my nephew in August. He and my son both cultured pseudomonas a few weeks later. My nephew had never cultured it before. Did they pass it to each other before we knew one of them had it? Possibly. It was a risk that we knew we were taking when we all spent time together.
I do not have my kids spend time with anyone else that has cf. It is just not worth the risk. They run enough risk just going to the cf clinic. There is a child down the street that has cf as well. My son is in this boy's brothers class at school. They are really good friends, but my son is not going over to his house to play. It is just not worth the risk of my son or his brother passing on bacteria to one another.
So like everything else, you just have to ask yourself if it is worth the chance of getting their bacteria if your son spends time with them.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 5 and Jack, 3 both with cf and aunt to Joseph, 9 with cf
