How Hereditary Conditions Affect Plans to Have Baby

Should Hereditary Conditions Affect Baby-Making Decision?

September 28, 2010

A woman's love may be unconditional, but do hereditary conditions make or break baby plans with her partner? From baldness to color blindness and sickle cell anemia to heart disease, should a person weigh her co-parent-to-be's genetic disorders before creating a family?

Source: Thinkstock

15 Comments

2 years 32 weeks

Although I think genetic testing for baldness or other non life threatening diseases are not necessary, I was tested when I was pregnant with my son. I have a neuromuscular disease that is progressive & although not life threatening, it does and will continue to affect my way of life. There is a %50 chance that my son would have had this disease but he luckily, did not. If he had, we would have aborted and if I have any more children, I will continue to make the same decision. Now that my son does not have this disease, he can never pass it on to any of his future children which was also a reason to have him tested - I don't want it passed on to anybody!

Bettye Wayne 2 years 33 weeks

I'm with everyone who said 'other.'

lawchick 2 years 33 weeks

lickety, not sure if that was directed at me but I should have qualified my statement --- IF we had thought to have the testing done on my husband before getting pregnant, and it had shown he was a carrier of something very serious, we almost definitely wouldn't have had a biological child (at least with his sperm). I know from his family's experience with his brother (who is now 28 years old) that it is extremely expensive, emotionally draining and can be so heart-breaking to take care of an ely mentally disabled child. It's not something I would take lightly if I knew the risks ahead of time. I can't explain why we didn't have the testing - it just didn't cross either of our minds until it was "too late."

stephley 2 years 33 weeks

I have a mild form of muscular dystrophy, as does one of my several siblings – for us the condition is basically a matter of chronic pain: I don’t think the pain is outrageous, would liken it to advanced arthritis. Our cousin was affected much more seriously by the condition, suffers the pain and is in a wheel chair. I’ve chosen not have a birth child. I wouldn’t gamble with my potential child’s future, or the quality of its life. I’d have no idea how capable I would be to care for whatever level condition the child would have, and as Lickety says, there’d be no way to guarantee the child’s care if anything happened to me. While no one knows for certain that their children will be born and remain healthy, I can’t imagine ever co-parenting with a person who is willing to knowingly gamble on their child’s health & future.

lickety split 2 years 33 weeks

im not trying to be mean, or provoke anyone, but....its not just a matter of loving a child no matter what "condition" they have. who will care for the child after you are gone? financially how will you make those arrangements? I have a severely disabled daughter who has been in a care facility since just after she turned 9. she suffered for months with pain that they could not address because she lacked the communication skills to communicate. watching her tear herself apart, scratching and clawing at her face and legs until they were bloody, pulling out chunks of her hair, throwing herself against the wall and on to the floor. it was horrible. as a parent, when you realize that you can't even protect your child from themself; that is a dark day. and when you are gone, will anyone still care?

Studio16 2 years 33 weeks

It depends. Color blindness? Eh, your kid's not really going to suffer. Down Syndrome or dwarfism? Yeah, I would adopt...

lawchick 2 years 33 weeks

My husband's brother is severely mentally handicapped (requires 24-hour in-home caregivers), with unknown cause. They tested him when he was young and didn't find any genetic defects. My suspicion is that if they tested him now, with modern genetic testing capability, they'd find he has Fragile X. Of course this is hardly something I am in a position to suggest! I'm pregnant now and worried about the possibility of genetic defects in the baby. We chose NOT to have genetic testing or even the quad screen. My husband strongly felt that if we had an amnio done, and ended up losing a baby that turned out to be prefectly healthy, we'd never forgive ourselves. The chance of an amnio going horribly wrong is around 1%, but that was more of a risk than he was willing to take. If we'd had the amnio and found serious defects, I don't know if we would have aborted or not. Probably not, due to the hurdles we had to jump just to get pregnant. I do wish we'd had some genetic testing done on my husband prior to getting pregnant to try and determine if he is a carrier of Fragile X and certain other markers - but there's no point in doing it now. we're hoping for the best and hoping we can handle whatever happens :)

2 years 33 weeks

There does need to be an "other" option. As someone who has family members who have faced this question, this is my opinion: The choice is entirely up to the future parents, who are ultimately the ones who will bear responsibility and moral culpability for their actions and how they raise or don't raise a child. If I personally found out I carried a serious genetic disorder that would seriously alter the life of my future children someday, I would make the choice never to become pregnant in the first place, either through careful practice or having my tubes tied (along with careful practice, as tied tubes can be faulty in rare cases). I would chose to adopt. However, I will never chose to run genetic screening or tests on an unborn child, because I know no answer would ever effect my love for the child or desire to keep it. I have three special needs sisters (2 adopted with full knowledge of their special needs) and am currently earning an education endorsement in special education, and I know and have personally experienced the joy and quality of life children with special needs or disabilities both enjoy themselves and bring into the lives of everyone they touch. And - as other posters have said - there really is no comparison between something like baldness and something like neurofibromatosis 1, which one of my adopted sisters has, or something even more serious......no comparison at all. If we have gotten to the point as a society where potential baldness is reason to terminate either the idea of or an actual pregnancy, we really are morally bankrupt and shallow. That's pathetic, and reeks of something similar to Arianism - the desire for a "perfect" race of people, free of physical defect or flaw. BARF!!!!!!

2 years 33 weeks

Which is why there should be an "other" option. Really, has the Sugar network not learned by now that very few situations have a firm yes or no answer? Always include an "other" option. I don't understand the constant "the world is black and white" mindset of the polls.

2 years 33 weeks

I agree with the above poster. My ex is bald AND color-blind and that would have never prevented us having a child, if the same genes ran in our family. However, a seriousy genetic disease? That's something else entirely.

2 years 33 weeks

You can't really compare baldness and severe genetic diseases. I carry the Cystic Fibrosis gene. My husband was tested and fortunately does not. However if he had tested positive I would have done further testing and made decisions based on the results.

Happsmjc 2 years 33 weeks

agree with above. my cousins lost their baby to a rare genetic disorder when she was one. this was devastating to the entire family. there was a huge possibility that if they had another girl she would have the same disorder so they chose not to take that chance. if it is something that serious i understand.

lickety split 2 years 33 weeks

i have friends that each carry a rare genetic trait for a condition that results in severe disability /shortened life span, its very sad. they had a genetic abortion and then had an in utero test to determine the health of the second pregnancy. it was fine and that child is typically developing. fast forward 4 years. 2 more pregnancies, both ended in genetic abortions. its straining the friendship. i feel like they ARE parents to one beautiful, healthy child, and that should be enough. the chance of them having another pregnancy with this same genetic condition is 1 in 4. they aren't ruling out another try. i think this is selfish.

2 years 33 weeks

There should be a "maybe" choice. If you have a good shot of having a child with Tay Sachs, for instance, maybe consider other options. If you use a donor because baldness runs in your family, then I have to question your priorities. Appearance ain't everything.

WarEagleNurse 2 years 33 weeks

Yes

Link Love

15 Comments

You Might Also Like