Genetic disorders

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Genetic disorders

Genetic disorders are diseases that can be passed from parents to children. Some disorders may be inherited if only one parent has the gene, while others can be inherited only if both parents have the gene.

If one or both parents have a defective gene or have a genetic disorder, the risk of passing the disorder on to a child is the same with each pregnancy. Having one healthy or one affected child doesn't change the odds that future children will or will not be affected.

If the baby's mother or father or anyone in either of their families has a genetic disorder, genetic counseling may help the family decide what type of prenatal testing they want.

Genetic disorders that may be inherited include:

Cystic fibrosis.
Sickle cell disease.
Tay-Sachs disease.
Thalassemia.
Hemophilia.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Huntington's disease.
Polycystic kidney disease.

A small number of disorders occur because of a mistake in a single gene (new mutation), such as a change in a gene of one of the parents' egg or sperm cells, or because of a change in a gene of the fetus.

Credits

Author	Jeannette Curtis
Author	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Associate Editor	Pat Truman
Primary Medical Reviewer	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last Updated	May 25, 2007

Last updated:	May 25, 2007
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman

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