A 3-day-old male neonate is diagnosed with meconium ileus. You should be concerned that he has which of the following conditions?

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Meconium ileus is often associated with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder affecting the lungs and digestive system.  Meconium ileus is a very common early clinical expression of cystic fibrosis. Increased sodium chloride level in sweat confirms the diagnosis. About 70% of children with cystic fibrosis have a depletional abnormality of chromosome 7 which disrupts the expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CFTR is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of membrane transporters. Specifically, CFTR is a chloride channel expressed in numerous epithelial cell membranes. In addition to the classic pulmonary obstruction resulting from loss of CFTR function, cystic fibrosis is associated with pancreatic insufficiency, recurrent pulmonary infections, and biliary obstruction.

A 3-Day-Old Male Neonate Is Diagnosed with Meconium Ileus