Adults with HFI having children

[colormist]

I've read on a few HFI resource webpages that adults with HFI are discouraged from having children. My husband & I are to that point in life where we're setting groundwork for a family and I'm beginning to wonder if there are other HFI adults (hopefully females) that have had children. Not that I worry about handling a child with HFI, but I wonder how the hospitals would handle the child (and myself).

Has anyone had kids (or have you heard of anyone having kids)? Does anyone know what the odds are of passing on the gene?

[Chelsea]

HFI is an autosomal recessive gene so an offspring would have a 25% chance of having HFI IF both you and your husband are carriers of the gene. Since your HFI, we know you carry the gene but you do not know if your husband carries the gene.

Since you carry the gene you have a 50% chance of passing the gene on but if your husband doesn't have the gene then your offspring would simply be a carrier.

Honestly, I don't think I would let it hold me back from having children. Having a child with HFI has made me decide not to have more, because now I know my DH & I are both carriers but we are already blessed with 3 wonderful children.

From a maternity nurse standpoint, I don't think the hospital would do much more than just close and careful watching with blood sugars early on.

I wish you the best in your decision, children are such a blessing.

[sarahk]

Hi,

I have HFI (I'm 28 years old) and my husband and I are discussing starting a family.

I was diagnosed at Boston, and my husband can be tested for free. Try contacting them for some more information.
We dont' plan on letting my HFI prevent us from having kids.

www.bu.edu/aldolase/HFI/index.html

[kristen]

That is absolutely correct Fred.

Everyone carries 2 sets of genes, 1 from each parent.

There is a 50/50 chance to pass one copy of each gene to your child.

In order to be only a carrier you need only 1 copy (one from either parent).

In order to be afflicted you need 2 (one from each).

So that gives you 4 different scenarios:

1 error gene from Dad, 0 error gene from Mom (carrier)
1 error gene from Dad, 1 error gene from Mom (afflicted)
0 error gene from Dad, 0 error gene from Mom (error leaves family branch)
0 error from Dad, 1 error gene from Mom (carrier)

So with an auto recessive genetic disorder where 1 parent is afflicted (carries 2 copies of the error) there is a 100% chance that the baby will be at least a carrier. As long as Dad doesn't carry the error then this is the end of the story.

If Dad is a carrier, then there is a 50% chance the baby will be afflicted. If Dad is afflicted there is a 100% chance the baby will be afflicted.

For those of us that are not afflicted (we are assumed carriers) so there is a 50% chance that other children will carry the error (2 of the 4 scenarios above), and only a 25% chance of being afflicted (1 of the 4 scenarios above).

Did that make sense?

So Fred, your children are carriers. The question is whether your grandchildren are. And BTW - LOVE the avatar!

KJ