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Can a child inherit Essential Thrombocythemia from the paternal side?

Fifix205
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Hi there,

I’ve been with my partner for over 7 years we are 24 and 26  and we were looking to get married and eventually start a family. However the paternal side has Essential Thrombocythemia and also Crohns (I don’t know if you’d know the answer for the crohns) from the past two years and has medicine for it. Our greatest concern would be can this be directly inherited in our children or pose any issues in pregnancy/childbirth if both the conditions are from the paternal side and maternal side is healthy with no underlying conditions. If so what percentage are the chances of the child inheriting these issues. As my partners main concern is if there is a high chance then he cannot bring life into this world knowing that it will have these issues. So I’d really appreciate any and every piece of information please and thank you. 

  • Hello, fifix205 and thank you for posting,

    I am sorry to learn of your partner's health conditions. I can understand you are concerned this is something your future children may inherit

    Family history is complicated. In some families, there is a faulty gene that controls platelet (blood cells that clot blood ) production. A person with this faulty gene is more likely to develop essential thrombocythemia (ET). However, this is very rare. 

    Your partner should discuss this with their haematologist as they will know their situation and may be able to advise whether or not any future children may be at an increased risk.

    You may find it helpful to look at the information on GUTS UK about the causes of Crohn's. It is thought that one-fifth of people with Crohn's disease will have a family member develop the disease. Again really the best person to discuss this with would be the team at the hospital or the GP who knows the situation.

    I do hope you can get more clarity from the doctors involved in your partner's care to help you move forward with your decisions.

    Take care, all the best

    Jemma

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Jemma

    Thank you for taking time to reply I appreciate it x

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