Doctors teach parents of CF babies these techniques so they can use them at home to manage the disease on a daily basis. Bacteria are a constant threat. Babies with CF usually get a brace of vaccines against such common bugs as Hib and pneumonia. Even high doses of ibuprofen have proven effective in opening airways. Each baby responds to a different combination of physical and drug therapies, and it's the doctors' and the parents' job to find the right mix.
Parents play an important role here by watching how their babies respond to different drugs.
Because the disease usually gums up the pancreas, digestion becomes a nagging problem as well. Without easy access to pancreatic enzymes, the small intestine has trouble breaking down food, especially fat, leaving babies with CF undernourished and hungry. Much of what they eat passes through the body without being absorbed. Doctors may use drugs to loosen the pancreatic passageways as well. An otherwise strong, healthy, well-nourished baby gives all the CF therapies a better chance to provide some relief.