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Here's Why You should Check Family History before Conceiving

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Family history is very important to know as it tells you about the health conditions that run in the family. It helps you in finding about medical problems that runs in the family and this might affect your pregnancy and your baby.

Contents

1# Ask Your Mother
2# History of Twins
3# Pregnancy Complications
4# Birth Defects
5# Genetic Diseases
6# Down Syndrome
7# Environmental Factors
8# PCOS
9# Decreased Risk for Future Generations

Here are some reasons that give you a hint at what your future pregnancy will bring in for you:

1# Ask Your Mother

When you plan to conceive then ask your mother how her menstrual cycle was and how was her pregnancy period. Know about the time she took to get pregnant, her morning sickness routine, her labor problems, if any. Also, ask for gestational diabetes, if she had it during her pregnancy. These things will give you a rough idea about your pregnancy and you will prepare for the journey with much ease.

2# History of Twins

The trend of having twins runs in the family, so you need to ask your mother about it. If her answer is yes, then you need to make an extra room for your twins as well. There is a possibility that you might expect twins in your lap.

3# Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy complications like preeclampsia that causes blood pressure to rise, gestational diabetes that occurs during pregnancy when sugar spikes in the blood runs in the family. Ask you mother and your partner’s mother about the complications that they might had during their pregnancy. Also, ask for depression, anxiety that they might have faced during pregnancy and you should gear up against all these odds to make your pregnancy smooth and healthy.

4# Birth Defects

Your doctor might want to know about any birth defects running in the family and if there is a family history of the same then she might want to act on it right from the start in your case of pregnancy. Let your doctor know if your mother had suffered a miscarriage or preterm early birth as this might help your doctor to avert such a situation in your case.

5# Genetic Diseases

If some genetic disease runs in the family like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and thalassemia then you might also become the carrier of the same for your unborn child. So, it is important to have carrier screening done to know that is you have a baby with the disease or not.

6# Down Syndrome

This is a common disorder that is genetic in nature and is associated with presence of an extra chromosome 21. This leads to mental impairment, weak muscle tone, shorter height and flattened facial profile in the child after he or she is born. You need to ask your mother regarding this disease before you take a plunge into pregnancy and discuss it with your doctor if you have a family history of this disease.

7# Environmental Factors

Not just genetic but some environmental factors like smoking and drinking also contribute to the birth defects in pregnancy. So the motivation towards a healthy environment is recommended to avoid situations like these in pregnancy to promote healthy pregnancy of the mother.

8# PCOS

This is the most common genetic condition that runs in the family and brings down the chances of fertility in women. PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition that interferes with the process of ovulation and disturbs the hormones as well. If your mother had faced this problem while conceiving then there are higher chances for you as well to have PCOS.

9# Decreased Risk for Future Generations

It is important to update the family history tree every year in medical records so that it becomes easy for your future generations to cope with these genetic complications during pregnancy. Doctor can glance through the family history and guide you for the same when you are ready to conceive.

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.

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