Fertility question about my son DDF508 mutation

[Allansarmy]

We found out my son had CF at 4 months. He will be 16 in 2 weeks. We just learned he has theDDF508 mutation.
I tried to research this answer and I see a lot of different answers out there. I know there is no clear way to answer as well because I know that each individual is different. I know some men that have CF and they have natural children (actually I know two personally). I also understand that its quit possible that he does not even have a vas deferens gland.
But, I will go ahead and ask anyways. Are there any of you out there that know without a doubt that you or someone you know (male only) that has theDDF508 mutation that were able to conceive their own children naturally?
Its ok to be honest here. That is why these boards are here and no you will not dishearten me. We have overcome a lot of obsticles with my son and my wifes sister that had CF and passed at the age of 27 after double lung transplant. So there is nothing you can write here that will suprise me.
Thank you for your time.

 

[stranger]

Naturally or biological? If the VD is blocked (most likely), the lil swimmers can't get out. However, they do get created. There is a procedure that goes and fetches them for IVF. The offspring would be his biological child. I would suggest that whomever his mate is, that she get genetic testing prior to; there is a 100% chance that his offspring will be carriers of the CF gene.

 

[Allansarmy]

Originally posted by: stranger Naturally or biological? If the VD is blocked (most likely), the lil swimmers can't get out. However, they do get created. There is a procedure that goes and fetches them for IVF. The offspring would be his biological child. I would suggest that whomever his mate is, that she get genetic testing prior to; there is a 100% chance that his offspring will be carriers of the CF gene.

Thank you for the response. Sorry I was vague in my question. Yes naturally is what I meant. I have two CF friends that are in their 30's and both have children naturally (meaning no IVF). Now, they are around that age which I think we can all agree or at least most of us that they only started genotype testing most kids within the last 10 years. So my son was beyond that hump as a lot of you were as well. So what I am trying to say is that even they (two male friends) do not even know which genotype they have yet. I did mention that the CF foundation was giving grants to those that were not genotyped.
I guess I am not hiding my desperation here as well as I had planned. I don't even know if my son can have children naturally or not. He has never asked but I can't help to get that lump in my throat every time he mentions (Hey dad, when I bring my kids over, we are going to take them to ball games and play and play). I do not want to even bring it up to him. I guess its the elephant in the room and he is either naive or is playing it off very well. I don't know what to even say to him. I understand that IVF is a possibility in the future and its a hope I plan to hold on to. I just want to bare his beardens. I probably shouldn't worry about things like this, but I as he gets older the more he speaks of a family he wants (he also mentioned that he may live with us til age 40)
So naturally I do what most men here do. We bottle those emotions up and we just don't share it, even with out own spouses. Its sad that men do this really.
We did have this woman tell us in the wating room of all places that my son could never have children when my son was about 8 months old going in for a check up. I guess that was her way of dealing with things, just blurt out the possibilities. She needed to learn some couth, but I was so dumb founded and then just realized that I did not do my home work here. I guess out of sight out of mind?

 

[Aboveallislove]

My understanding from our CF doctor is that only some mutations don't have the vas def. and that dd508 do have it, but that they cannot conceive naturally AS OF NOW. I also asked whether the meds in the works would fix this and she said that the body wouldn't know whether it is fixing the cftr for lungs or all organs so yes it would. That's what I'm praying for. But while our son is young (and as he grows), we speak naturally of him being a father when he is all grown up and married, and we also speak naturally of adoptive children, as my closest friend is the adoptive mother to their three little ones. It hurts. I know. Hugs.

 

[stranger]

Have is ----- checked for swimmers. It's not going to change that today he doesn't have them and tomorrow he will. Not even the CFTR's out there can correct this. If they see swimmers under the microscope, no probs. If they don't, then there is a tese procedure that can extract his sample from the testicles and analyze (this takes the VD out of the picture). If he has swimmers via the tese, then IVF is how he can have biological children.

 

[Momtana]

It sounds like it is time for a father/son or doctor/patient discussion about CF and infertility. Many men with CF also lack seminal vesicle(s) so that the volume of semen is smaller. This can be concerning to men and to their partners.

The only way to know for sure if your son has sperm in his semen is to have it checked. We are all different even if our mutations are the same.

 

[Momtana]

It sounds like it is time for a father/son or doctor/patient discussion about CF and infertility. Many men with CF also lack seminal vesicle(s) so that the volume of semen is smaller. This can be concerning to men and to their partners.

The only way to know for sure if your son has sperm in his semen is to have it checked. We are all different even if our mutations are the same.

 

[Printer]

For your own peace of mind, he should have his sperm tested. You should also be prepared for a report that states that he has ZERO sperm.

Bill

 

[CrisDopher]

My fertility report simply stated "no sperm detected."

Mutation is probably not the dominant factor in whether a patient's vas deferens has been blocked (and possibly reabsorbed by the body). The vas deferens (there are two of them) are not glands, they're ducts. As such, they're as subject to blocking up as all of our other small ducts. Problem is, when the body detects useless tissue, it tends to get rid of it. Over time, the vas deferens simply gets reabsorbed.

 

[welshwitch]

I think IVF is the method that lots of CF dads do. There are lots of men on this board who have had kids. THey just needed a bit of help, and needed to be educated (which included testing their female partners for CF genes).

I think the most important things aren't really "how" the children of CF parents get here. It's more, "Can I be sure my partner doesn't have the CF gene so our kid(s) won't have CF?" And, "Once my kid is born, am I physically and mentally healthy enough to be a parent?" The latter also applies to the parents with CF that have adopted.

 

[stephen]

There are many of us CF'ers who have happy normal families through adoption.

Stephen
70 years old with two sons who were adopted.

 

[Gorf]

I have a Male child(CF Free) that was Concieved when I was 20, It was a surprise as you might expect(A glorious one). I am now a Proud Grandfather. I have ddf508 I was told .1% chance to have a child. The only thing I can say is never say never. I was diagnosed at 3 years old, no lung problems but had digestive problems. My first lung problem was at age 19. The only thing I can think of was since lungs weren't that bad and basically no mucus production I was able to concieve. We selected to use protection after, and when we decided to try again 7 year later, had no luck. I wish you and your son the best of luck.