Uncommon Question on Dyslexia- PLS help?

Question

My really close friend suffers from Dyslexia. She was diagnosed with it in Middle school. Her parents got her help & were trying to figure out, with the help of a doctor, the reason why she was dyslexic when it Wasn't hereditary or in the family.

Finally they came to the conclusion that she was born dyslexic because during her mother's pregnancy there were complications (her mother had got Malaria too) and that affected her brain. She is getting married soon and wanted to know-

Q1) Since she was born with dyslexia will it be inherited by her children?

Q2) Can complications really cause dyslexia?What kind of dyslexia is this?

Q3) Is there anything we can do to avoid her children from inheriting it or reduce the chances?

Pls help. Thank you.

Answer 1

Dyslexia is hereditary and the biggest reason that people are dyslexic is genetic, as has been proved by research. I hate using this term because it is basket term for  learning disabilities that affect reading. These can be deficits in information processing, memory deficits and underlying language deficits, to name a few. These are knowm as specific learning disabilities  and will be the term I use.

SLD can be caused by other things. These include:

*traumatic brain injuries such as accidents

*insults due to oxygen deprivation during delivery

*drugs, cigarette or alcohol abuse during pregnancy

*disease conditions during pregnancy

*drug treatment of disease conditions during pregnancy

Since your doctor has determined that the problem is not genetic, then it will not be inherited by her children.

If you are still concerned, then check out any problems that other relatives have had that are similar. These include relatives who have trouble reading or spelling, have autism or mental retardation or who are hyperactive. These things could indicate that it is genetic because it runs in families. You rarely see just one person in the family tree having the problem, unless it was caused by the five items above.

You have to look at the father's side too.

Answer 2

Dyslexia can be genetic, chromosome 6, DCDC2, is possibly linked to dyslexia.- National Academy of Sciences. According to the Mayo Clinic "The cause of dyslexia seems to be a malfunction in certain areas of the brain concerned with language. The condition frequently runs in families."

Although injuries to the brain or other external factors can damage parts of the brain and lead to dyslexia.

There is nothing that you can do if it is genetic..

Just because one person has it in the family doesnt mean you will get it... Someone stated earlier that their brother has it and they dont or something like that.. This doesnt necessarly mean its not genetic..... ALso, dyslexia is NOT a disorder where you just read backwards, this is an old and untrue myth.. It is any reading disorder..

Answer 3

It is well regarded as hereditary in Australia, it is impossible to establish if the malaria did in fact cause the dyslexia or if there are family members that also have dyslexia and are undiagnosed, too many assumptions to really reassure that her children will not inherit the condition. But can I just say that if her children are dyslexic she will be the best person to help them understand and she will be in a better position to help her children be all that they can be. Being dyslexic is not tragic and devastating, one of my closest friends is a professor of education at a very important university and she has dyslexia and always will have, It's never stopped her being what she wanted to be. We have no guarantees that our children will not have issues but worrying about the endless possibilities will guarantee a lot of unnecessary needless worry.

Janice

Answer 4

I do not believe that dyslexia is hereditary. My brother had it as a child and over came it but no one else in the family has ever had it. My mother was given medicines while she was pregnant with him that almost made her miscarry. Her water broke at 4 months along but the mucus plug closed up again. This was in 1969 as well. I believe this was the cause. Not enough amniotic fluid will lead to brain development complications as well as physical. I do not think your friend will pass it on to children, but I do not know the subject throughly.

I just wanted to add in response to the 3rd post and the user details. If her Dyslexia was sustained from a complication during pregnancy, it would not be inherited. The only way I see her child inheriting it would be if it actually came from genetics and not the complications. Dyslexia may not have a cure but it can be overcome. I do not appreciate the statement that middle class families often used it as an excuse for children being poorly educated. When a child obviously reads a common and easy word backwards such as Dog becoming God, it is apparent that it is Dyslexia and not poor education. All of my siblings and I did extremely well in school and college. None of us were poorly educated. My brothers Dyslexia was diagnosed by a Doctor and by the time he reached 2nd grade he no longer had dificulties. It is believed that he sustained his Dyslexia as well to a lack of Amniotic fluid early in the second Trimester.

My husband did studies at East Carolina University on Genetics, they have a large research facility. You may be able to find information on any studies they may have done on Dyslexia. Good luck to your friend, her future children and yourself.

Answer 5

The answer to your question is no it will not be inherited by her children.  As the cause was complications within pregnancy, this is an environmental cause and not a genetic one.  She would need to actually carry the gene which produces dyslexia and pass that gene on to her child.

Complications can cause many things, including dyslexia.  A brief period of even a moderate under-supply of oxygen to baby's brain can cause many types of brain dysfunction or injury,

As to the final question, her children won't inherit it, but to maximise the chances of any child being good at reading and writing, we should expose them to a wide vocabulary and encourage their spoken language.  We should also make sure they are exposed to rhyme and alliteration and make sure they have a good awareness of the sound system of their language as they grow and develop.

Tell your friend not to worry.

Answer 6

Dyslexia is hereditary. Both my brother and I have it and so do all of our children to some degree. My husbands brother also has it so my son's got it from both side of the family. My eldest son being quite badly affected. Looking back it is very probable that our mother had it too but it was never recognised then. As your friends was caused by a medical complication I can't see that it would be passed on to any children that she may have.

Answer 7

1.  It's not genetic, so no, the kids won't get it.   If you break your arm, your kids won't get that.

2.  Yes.  

3.  See 1.

I'm not a doctor.   The doc who says it was malaria of the mother while she was in the womb won't be certain of his conclusion, but if he is right, it won't be inherited.

So, no guarantees, but it sounds like your friend's kids are at no more risk than anyone else.

PS most of the world's geniuses have been dyslexic (Einstein, for example)

Answer 8

In the past, dyslexia has sometimes been referred to as something that was made up by the middle classes to explain why their children were unsuccessful at school. However, there is now a wide body of clinical and academic knowledge which confirms that dyslexia is indeed a real phenomenon. The problem now lies in defining the limits of dyslexia and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the term dyslexia covers a number of different learning difficulties.

About 10% of the population has some form of dyslexia, although most will have it in a mild form. About 4% of society has a more severe version of dyslexia which can have a serious impact on their life. Dyslexia affects more males than females, with 75% of dyslexics being male.

Dyslexia has not become more prevalent, it is just that our society has changed to make it harder for dyslexics to operate. As our society becomes more literate, dyslexics increasingly have problems dealing with education and work. Also, we now know more about dyslexia and how to diagnose it, so many more people than previously are now being shown to be dyslexic.



Dyslexia is considered a disability under government legislation, as it can cause learning and other difficulties for those who have it. But many people prefer to think of dyslexia as a difference, as dyslexia can have just as many beneficial effects as negative ones.

There is no cure for dyslexia. But dyslexia is not a disease, so to talk about curing it is taking the wrong approach. Instead we should look at ways dyslexics can compensate for their dyslexia, develop coping and management strategies, and emphasising the good aspects of their dyslexia.

Is dyslexia hereditary?

It is becoming increasingly likely that dyslexia is genetically based and passed from parents to children. Often dyslexia affects many people in the same family and most dyslexics will generally have someone else in their wider family who also have dyslexia. However, people can also get “acquired dyslexia” from a bad head injury or other source such as drug addiction.

NO EVIDENCE CONNECTING MALARIA AND DYSLEXIA THROUGH PREGNANCY

Hope this helps