Can I Pass Kidney Problems to My Children?

If you have kidney problems, it’s natural to wonder if you might be able to pass those problems on to your kids. Though some kidney diseases can be inherited, the “pattern” of inheritance isn’t clear. Understanding the factors involved in genetic kidney disease is important for making informed decisions about your health and your future.

Chadi Saad, MD, and the team at Nephrocare MD LLC, provide patient-centered, compassionate care for people with kidney diseases, including patients with inherited disorders. In this post, learn more about inheritable kidney disease and how to tell if you could pass your kidney issues on to your children.

Inherited kidney disease

There are more than 60 kidney diseases that can be inherited — passed from one or both parents to their children. These diseases are associated with specific genes. Some diseases can be passed by one parent (dominant inheritance), and some require the gene to be present in both parents (recessive inheritance).

That said, simply having the gene does not mean you’ll definitely pass it to your children — it simply means there’s a greater risk of passing the disease or disorder to them. Lots of other factors can play a role in whether your child will go on to develop kidney problems, too. 

Examples of inheritable kidney diseases include:

• Polycystic kidney disease
• Cystinosis
• Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)
• Alport syndrome
• Gitelman syndrome
• Nephronophthisis (NPHP)
• Thin basement membrane disease
• Congenital nephrotic syndrome (CKD)
• Dent disease
• Renal tubular acidosis
• Vesicoureteral reflux

This is just a partial list. Our team can help you find out if it can be passed through your genes.

If you have a kidney disease that can be passed through your genes, having genetic testing helps assess the risk of inheritance. Our team can help you decide if genetic testing is appropriate depending on the type of kidney disease you have.

Take control of kidney health

If you do have a genetic kidney disease, it bears repeating: That does not mean your child will also have the disease — it simply increases their risks. Knowing those risks ahead of time can help you ensure you take other steps to keep your child’s kidneys as healthy as possible.

For instance, lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and habits like smoking or drinking alcohol can also increase your risks of kidney problems. Encouraging healthy behaviors in your child can help protect their kidneys and reduce the risks of developing problems in the future.

Likewise, having diabetes or high blood pressure also increases the risk of kidney problems. Making sure your child has regular checkups throughout their childhood and teen years helps your pediatrician spot issues early, so they can be treated or potentially reversed.

Greater peace of mind

Inheritance is a complex process that can’t be predicted with 100% reliability. Knowing your risk factors and undergoing genetic testing can provide you with critical information that can help you plan your family and your future with empowerment and confidence.

To learn more about genetic kidney diseases, call 313-960-6605, or book an appointment online with Dr. Saad and the team at Nephrocare MD LLC in Dearborn, Michigan, today.