Two Kids with CF - Cross-Contamination

[Kirio]

My son (8 months) was diagnosed at birth and his 3 year old sister was just tested and diagnosed with CF as well.

Obviously we cannot keep them 6 feet apart, but we wash and sanitize as much as we can.

Does anyone have experience with two CF babies? How do you handle cross-contamination concerns? I am especially worried that once they get school-aged, we'll just be passing germs back and forth constantly.

 

[Aboveallislove]

I can't answer from a personal standpoint but I think there was a recommendation that they do treatments in separate rooms and obviously don't share equipment or food drinks...I am sorry that has to be very stressful...but I know many on here have two r more with cf and some have talked of how they never grew same bugs.. Hugs and prayers
love

 

[ethan508]

My parents had to deal with this. My parents seemed resigned to the fact that we would share bugs. And ultimately, my brothers and I ended up all culturing the same bugs. I'm glad my parents took that attitude and just let us be close and do all the typical brother stuff without great lectures or worries that we were cross-contaminating each other (I even shared a bedroom with my younger CF brother for several years). Granted 25 years ago, there was a little less knowledge/rigor in infection control.

Now that I live away from my brothers I sometimes I worry about it picking up any bugs that they have picked up in adulthood, but not enough to ever avoid a family activity. This being said we are still basically culturing the same bugs, I don't know how we'll respond if one of us starts culturing something new.

If it were me, I'd just focus on keep my kids’ hands washed, their nebulizers separated, and maybe some mild quarantine (spending time in their own room) during bouts of illness.

 

[Ratatosk]

Friend of mine's children had similar diagnosis. Baby was diagnosed via newborn screening, so they tested the older sister just to rule out cf. They both have it. Basically they don't share drinks, food, vests, nebs or neb cups. They don't separate treatments, but sit on separate couches.

 

[FFXyojimboFFX]

well i'm not 100% sure of this but i know that when i was sick or my sister was sick in the hospital the doctors always said it was fine to see each other even if one of us was not sick, we share the same house same school we are around the same environment so whatever bug she had or i had the other probably had it already so it wont make the other one more sick its all about the flare ups or something like that but yeah use separate nebs and treatment stuff but no need to go to the extreme and force them away from each other when they grow up they will be the only 2 people who understand each other and all the same problems

 

[faithstewart]

I have a 6 year old and a 1 year old, both with CF, and a 10 year old boy that is a carrier. We just do our best and pray a lot. We try not to do treatments in the same room, but something the only way to get the baby to do it is to let her do it with sissy, in which case we just try to keep them as far apart as possible. They love each other, snuggle, and play together. They have too... they are sisters and they NEED each other, especially to deal with CF together. So yeah, we pray a lot and do our best. Also, we homeschool... it just makes me feel better about outside germs, but it isn't for everyone and definitely not NECESSARY.

 

[Twistofchaos]

My two year older sister and I grew up together, played together and were in the same car all the time. (she operated the steeringwheel I did the pedals.)
The advantages of growing up together far outweighed possible disadvantages and having a CF sibling is more of a blessing than a curse.
Cross infection was not such an issue when we were young because we did not have strains of bacteria that were immune to antibiotic yet. When we did get sick together it was from sharing a cold or flu virus (and with the rest of the school) rather than bacteria. That never really happened as far as we can tell.
We still meet regularly now. With some common sense there's not much risk. Ie. inform each other what's up beforehand and keep more distance if one does develop something. Other than that we do not typically hug, kiss or shake hands but being Dutch we show no affection anyway so that's easy.

Imho the CF world went a bit overboard with the segregation and scaring the hell out of especially new parents with tales of cross infection and lack of hygiene. (but if I were a parents I probably would go overboard on that too as it's one thing you can think you can control.) It's good to be aware of it but shouldn't get in the way of living a relatively carefree life for as long as that is possible.
Growing up going to CF camps and meetings was quite important to many of us to find understanding and companionship one does not typically find in normal life. Definitely miss that.

 

[SadiesMom]

My children are 18 months apart and both have CF (they are 6 and 4 right now). We haven't been given any recommendations about their care. We do our best to keep as much separate as we can, but they do their treatments in the same room on opposite ends of the couch. Even though we sterilize regularly, I used different style nebulizers, masks, and parts so they can tell which is theirs. They each have a different style juice cup, their own toothpastes, we use those "take n toss" disposable cups for their pediasures and just use disposable straws, and lots and lots of hand sanitizer. We don't let them share food with each other (or pretty much anyone else). It was harder when they were smaller because they put everything in their mouths, but we would limit the number of toys they had available and wipe them down with a lysol wipe at the end of the day. Our now 6 year old started school this year and brought home a cold here and there, but we just upped their treatments until it passed. Usually if one has it, the other catches it a day or two later, but it's not the end of the world. They are each other's best friend (and worst enemy sometimes), and I think they'll need each other more and more as they grow up.