Early diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in Jordanian children.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease in childhood. The high infant mortality rate in Jordan and many other developing countries is mostly due to an increased prevalence of malnutrition, diarrhoeal diseases, and chest infections, which are also recognized clinical features of CF. Reports of CF among Arabs in neighbouring countries have stimulated clinical studies to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of this disease among Jordanian children. In a prospective study, 7682 neonates from 10 different hospitals in Jordan were screened for CF using the BM test for meconium albumin. Four cases gave a positive reaction to BM test strips. Cystic fibrosis was confirmed in three by sweat chloride test using pilocarpine iontophoresis. This represents an incidence of 1:2560 live births. In spite of the recognized limitations for the use of the BM test on meconium for mass screening of CF, this study has contributed to the increased awareness of the occurrence of CF among Jordanian children.