Higher genetic likelihood of IBD and decision to have kids

Hi all,

I am sure there is a thread somewhere, so please, if this has been discussed at length elsewhere, ignore this thread and just point me to the other one (just can't seem to find it :ybatty.

How are people who want to have kids think about the question of inheritance factors? I read that statistically 10% of kids with a parent with an IBD will also develop an IBD in their lifetime, which is, depending on the location, quite a lot higher than the general population risk.

I had a discussion with my ex-gf over a year ago about kids (she wanted to have family at some point) and she asked me directly whether Crohn's is inherited... which to some extent it is. Having said that, - and this is especially a question to men who want children - have you considered to not have children or if your spouse wants a kid to use a sperm donor to cut down the IBD risk? I know 10% isn't much at all and most people probably don't really consider it when thinking about kids, but I was still wondering what people think.

Also, this post is in no way meant to criticize anyone who has a kid when he has an IBD, after all there are much worse things in life and there are so many other problems that can occur for kids with non-IBD parents, so at the end I also believe there shouldn't be a problem with having kids when you have Crohn's and I want kids at some point too.

Thanks,
A

Hey Alex,

There is an older thread that discusses this very question at length…

Do you want children knowing they could have crohn's?

It contains some lively discussion and very thoughtful responses.

Dusty.

One thing to consider is even if you don't have crohns you can still give your kiddo crohns genes plus a slew of other genes without even knowing it

Case in point my kiddo
No family history
Ran DNa tons of high risk crohns genes in Ds
He got them from us without our knowledge
So even a sperm donor without a crohns family history
It can still happen

So if you run your DNa or anyone else,s for all 10 million known genes

I don't think anyone would have kids
But they sure are cute

Good thought though

DustyKat said:

Hey Alex,

There is an older thread that discusses this very question at length…

Do you want children knowing they could have crohn's?

It contains some lively discussion and very thoughtful responses.

Dusty.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Dusty. I will check out the discussion there, then.

Well, no life is perfectly charmed. And we all end up in the same place when it's over. Personally, I'd just let hope prevail.

I have a very young kid with Crohn's. I also have 6 other children who do not have Crohn's. The funny thing is, is that the Crohn's kid offers this amazing gift to the whole family that we wouldn't have without her. She has this wonderful positive attitude and ability to withstand a large amount of suffering. She gives us all courage. It's a tough life that no one would choose, no doubt, but a lot of good has already come from it.

We'd be a bunch of boring whiners if it weren't for her, LOL.

But I would love to have the genetics run on all of us just for curiosity about how it plays out in our genes. I actually hope it doesn't deter any of the kids from having children in their own families one day.

I always wondered is Crohn's genetic or familial? I have CD as does an older brother but my parents and grandparents don't.
Just a thought that occurred to me.

If I were having children today, I would get genetically tested. Make sure we were both good candidates.

And if I could go back in time and not have my son who has Crohn's, I probably would, for his sake. He's a very sensitive person and Crohn's is a nightmare for him.

Sorry to hear that your son is having a tough time. As there are other factors, I don't think that one would know 100% even if one goes for genetic testing.

Right. I just meant that I would get genetically tested for a variety of things, if I were planning to become pregnant now. Nothing wrong in increasing the odds of a healthy baby.

I'm way past that, though!

I,m not against genetic testing but,the big word, it kinda smacks of the Final Solution and could lead us down a very bad road.i recently read a really interesting article about euthanasia in holland where doctors are allowed to aid in assisted dying,some for very treatable conditions,depression and tinnitus being to of them.i feel it's a way dodgy road.

What if you had genetic testing and had a perfectly healthy child, and then your child became a heroin addict and overdosed? Or got in a car accident? Drug overdose and car accidents have higher mortality rates but there is no gene.

^^^^ yeah that
Life is messy fun exciting and sometimes hard but that is why it's called life

We had genetic testing done for Cystic fibrosis prior to having children -at the time life expectancy was 14 or 15 years old-today it's in the 40's.
The tests were highly recommended due to our family risk factor.
No known genes for it

That said the first thing they tested Ds for when he got sick was CF.
Talk about guilt factor when you are waiting for the results .

I,m glad I don,t have decisions to make like that it's just heartbreaking for the people involved but I really wouldn't,t like it to be the norm!after all who knows the potential of anyone, Stephen Hawking being a prime example absolute genius trapped in a badly functioning body!

Pilgrim said:

What if you had genetic testing and had a perfectly healthy child, and then your child became a heroin addict and overdosed? Or got in a car accident? Drug overdose and car accidents have higher mortality rates but there is no gene.

Click to expand...

Might as well not wear seatbelts or helmets, or eat properly, because we're gonna die of something, right?

I say, do everything you can to insure your children have the best CHANCE at a happy healthy life.

Axelfl3333 said:

I,m glad I don,t have decisions to make like that it's just heartbreaking for the people involved but I really wouldn't,t like it to be the norm!after all who knows the potential of anyone, Stephen Hawking being a prime example absolute genius trapped in a badly functioning body!

Click to expand...

He says himself that he is not a genius.