Do Certain Medical Problems Run In Your Family?
If any of the following — high blood pressure, diabetes, hemophilia, birth defects, mental retardation, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle-cell anemia, or thalassemia — run in your family, you could be at an increased risk. For high blood pressure or diabetes, you are at risk of developing pregnancy induced hypertension or gestational diabetes during your pregnancy — conditions that, if left unmanaged, could affect your baby’s well-being as well as your own health.
Genetic disorders such as hemophilia, birth defects, some forms of mental retardation, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle-cell anemia, and thalassemia can be passed from one generation to the next. If these types of medical problems run in your family (see Table ), you might want to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss your odds of having a child with one of these problems.
Note: It is possible to have a genetic disorder or to carry a gene for a particular disorder without even knowing it. That’s why genetic counseling plays an important role in preconception health planning.
As you may recall from your high-school biology class, there are various types of gene disorders:
¦ Dominant gene disorders (Huntington’s disease, for example) are caused by a single abnormal gene from either parent. ¦ Recessive gene disorders (for example, cystic fibrosis) occur when both parents carry an abnormal gene for a particular disorder.
¦ X-linked or sex-linked gene disorders (hemophilia, for example) are caused by an abnormal gene on the X chromosome.
¦ Chromosomal disorders (such as Down syndrome) are caused by problems with the fetus’s chromosomes. Chromosomal disorders are sometimes inherited but are more often caused by an error that occurred when the sperm or egg was being formed.
¦ Multifactorial disorders (such as congenital heart defects) are disorders that are believed to be caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors.
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