What every parent should know about their child’s genetic code

Each child is born into this world oblivious of the genetic risks for various diseases that they carry. Of course, they are too young and innocent to know it, but even their parents are ignorant of the specific genetic risks they have transmitted to their baby, which they themselves have innocently inherited from their own parents or grandparents or other such family members.

Here, I briefly describe 5 diseases whose roots parents should be aware of in their children.

1) ADHD

If there is one disease that is so typical of today’s children, it is Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While not many children qualify for a clinical diagnosis for ADHD, such traits of sub-clinical nature are widely prevalent in a significant percentage of children. The condition is noted for its strong genetic component, with heritability as high as 70-80%.

It is usually diagnosed between 7-11 years, which gives parents sufficient time to run a genetic test and take preventive measures.

2) Obesity

Whether obesity develops in childhood or adulthood, its genetic component is as high as 70%. Obesity’s impact too is serious in that it is not only a standalone risk factor, but spikes the risk for developing other lifestyle diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, organ failures etc.

Global prevalence of childhood obesity peaks to around 20% between the ages of 5 to 19, and this provides a window of opportunity for parents to act.

3) High BP & cardiovascular diseases

As it is in adults, hypertension is a silent disease in kids too, while cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes are very rare in children and teenagers. But this doesn’t mean that cardiovascular diseases, including high BP and atherosclerosis, are not common in these age groups.

Some studies show that their prevalence is as high as 35%. The genetic component too is quite high at 60%. With late teens at higher risk, parents have sufficient time to run a genetic test and act.

4) Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form, used to be called adult-onset diabetes, not too long back. But due to rising lifestyle triggers most probably, a small yet significant 12% of teenagers are increasingly getting diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes.

The genetic component or heritability of type 2 diabetes is also quite high at 70%. The puberty years of 13-16 is most susceptible due to hormonal changes causing insulin resistance, but it also gives time for parents to act.

5) Anxiety & depression

Just like ADHD, rising levels of anxiety & depression are very typical of today’s kids and teenagers. Global prevalence of anxiety in the young is 20%, while for depression, it is 25%. The genetic component is above 50% for both anxiety & depression, while for some serious variants of these, the heritability is as high as 70%.

Both conditions are more prevalent in the 15-19 age group, thereby giving parents sufficient time to decide on a genetic test and subsequent preventive steps.

What can parents do

These are not the only disease risks that your kids can inherit from you and their ancestors, which can get triggered by faulty lifestyles, either in childhood or later. But these are among the most common and serious, from a health and performance point of view. A genomic lifestyle management solution like Eplimo can detect the genetic risks for developing these and hundreds of such diseases in one go, years before they hit, and prescribe 360-degree lifestyle modifications to keep them at bay.

Author: Dr. Sajeev Nair, the Chief Curator of World Biohack Summit Dubai, and the Founder & Chairman of Bengaluru based health-tech startup, Vieroots