What is Likely to be Inherited?

Some traits are more often to be inherited than others.

Vision problems are often passed down through the generations.  Nearsightedness, color blindness, and lazy eye are common.  According to Parenting.com, if both parents are nearsighted then the child has a 25-50% chance of also being nearsighted.  Something that can be done to help these situations are to have regular eye exams.  This is something that is common in my family.  My great grandparents and grandparents both had eye problems, my mom is almost legally blind, so it is no surprise that 3 out of the 5 children have bad eye sight as well.

Migraines are also passed on.  If one parent has migraines then there is a 50% chance the child will also develop them.  A good way to counter the activation of migraines is to pay attenetion to what triggers them.  Once you have the triggers figured out then just do your best to keep it away from the child.

If one parent has allergies then there is a good chance that the child will also have them.  But, allergies develop in different ways so the allergies will not be the same necessarily.

Something that I hadn't really thought about is psychological and emotional issues can also be passed down through the family line.

When you have a child it is important to know what kinds of things could have been passed down so you can know what warning signs to look for.

Why is it Important?

Knowing your family health history should be something that you feel is necessary.  Family history is anything that could affect your health conditions.  Anything that you and members of your family have in common fall into this category.  It is not just limited to gene related health issues but also exercise habits, eating habits, and living in the same environment.

According to the CDC, most people have at least one member of their family that has one chronic disease.  If you have a relative with a chronic disease, you are much more likely to develop that disease yourself.

If you are aware of family health issues then you can talk to your doctor about it sooner to make sure everything is going well.  It is important that you gather as much information about family members so that you can be as prepared as possible for anything that might be thrown at you.