Hypoproteinemia and Anemia in Infants With Cystic Fibrosis: A Presenting Symptom Complex Often Misdiagnosed

Infants with cystic fibrosis occasionally may present with a symptom complex of anemia, hypoproteinemia, and edema. Case reports of seven infants between the ages of 1 to 4 months who developed these abnormalities indicate that in several instances the children's condition was misdiagnosed as milk-sensitivity or milk-allergy. Furthermore, their case histories verify that their hypoalbuminemia and anemia is nutritional and is corrected when a readily absorbed diet with a pancreatic-enzyme supplement is given. A retrospective review of feeding histories of 100 infants with cystic fibrosis, as well as these case reports, indicate that affected children who are breast-fed or fed with soy-based formulas are more likely to develop the syndrome. (JAMA 228:585-588, 1974).