If you knew that you had a serious inheritable genetic disorder would you choose to have children?

No

Depends on the odds and long term prognosis.

I would want proper genetic counselling from your regional genetics service to help make an informed choice.

depends – some are much more likely than others. I’d probably go for screening either (preferably) using test tube baby techniques or termination of affected foetuses if I wanted kids and had a serious inheritable genetic disorder. No testing available – no kids for me.

Would depend entirely on what the condition was.

No testing available – no kids for me.

+1

My wife has FSH MD:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facioscapulohumeral_muscular_dystrophy

and passed it on to her daughter without knowing, she hadn’t been diagnosed when she conceived at 24.

Her daughter is now 16 and suffering quite bad, being worse at her age than my wife was.

It tears my wife apart knowing she passed it on.

I must add this is not me it’s prompted by a TV programme I was watching.

We talking Huntingdons or red hair? If the former, absolutely no way. The latter then maybe with the right counselling.

Garry- ha ha ha. It is people with your ‘amusing’ attitude that entertain my son with their wit(oops, sorry, I mis-pronounced that word)on a daily basis.

Nowr wrong with a bit of gingerism. My son is ginger, he is much more cute than he would be with any other colour of hair.

Ambrose – do you have a problem having ginger offspring?

I didn’t catch the whole show but the family have four kids 3 of whom have inherited a pretty harsh condition. I got the impression the parents knew but I may be wrong. Seems selfish, if they did know.

I’m fine with the lad’s hair. Just a bit fed up of people deciding that it is worth making a mockery of. I just don’t get it- why laugh at something that they have no control/ choice of just for the hell of it. lad gets a bit miffed somedays, and I can sympathise with him.

‘Hey Slaphead’

‘Hiya Fatty’

‘You OK Shorty?’

‘Oi Skinny, you OK’

All unacceptable in my book TBH

Some inheritable diseases are late onset. I’ve had counselling and been tested. My children were extremely relieved.

Sometimes you find out you have a genetic disease when its a bit too late and you already have children, then left with the 50/50 chance you could pass it on, even if the result your left with is in the grey area, its a tough legacy to explain to your children.

Spot on flippinheckler.

Gosh just remembered my son has red hair too 😉

Some of the work that I’m in charge of is developing pre-implantation genetic tests for rare disorders. FSMD is one of the conditions that we are looking at with some labs in the USA.

If you have any questions about a disorder then please go to a genetic counsellor first.

Some of the work that I’m in charge of is developing pre-implantation genetic tests for rare disorders. FSMD is one of the conditions that we are looking at with some labs in the USA.

That may help my step daughter in years to come 🙂

I have FSHD too, was only diagnosed 18 months ago aged 41 when getting physio after a broken collar bone. Fortunately fairly mild and doesnt restrict me that much. My dad and brother are the same.

I have 2 kids (both well before diagnosis) so didnt have to make the choice then. Would I choose differently now? – I don’t think so. It hasn’t massively affected my life, and advice is that the severity tends to be similar as its passed on so hopefully won’t affect the kids too much as it develops. They certainly have a pretty good quality of life now and hopefully always will.

Now we know about the condition, the difficult questions will come when they want to start their own families. But hopefully Tonyg and his friends in white coats will have fixed it by then 🙂

What confuses me is on programmes about genetic disorders there’s always a few couples with one child with Autism or something and they have another years later.

Surely it’d be better to adopt one of the many children in need of a home then to force another child to live with a condition all their life.

Given the hypothetical question said it was a serious disorder and it was known about, definitely not.

Edit: Ambrose, it’s a fact of life. I don’t have ginger hair but have spent a lifetime being mocked about various genetic malfunctions I have no control over (not just my non-biking skills either). S**t happens from other people.

@ thegiantbiker..Autism is not genetic!

Edit.

Its a sore subject in our family… 🙁