Prevalence of divorce among parents of children with cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases

Data on the prevalence of divorce and separation among parents of children with cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases indicate that marital breakdown is no more prevalent among these couples than it is in a general population. For couples who attended genetic counseling clinics or had children with spina bifida or leukemia, the divorce rate is lower than the United States national average. For parents of children with cystic fibrosis, the divorce rate is the same as the national average. The high recurrence risk for cystic fibrosis may deter many parents from further reproduction. We speculate that the inability to plan more children may be the factor responsible for the higher prevalence of divorce among these parents compared to those of children with other chronic diseases.