Each chromosome can be divided in to two halves. VCFS is an autosomal dominant disorder. Autosomal refers to the fact that the deletion is not found on the sex chromosomes and both males and females can be affected. The mechanism of how and why a deletion occurs is not fully understood, but we do know that there is nothing that a parent does before or during a pregnancy that causes a deletion to occur. Because the physical finding associated with VCFS can be subtle and vary from person to person, even within a family, often a parent does not know they have VCFS until their child is diagnosed.
Prenatal diagnosis is available to determine if a pregnancy is affected.
If your child has VCFS and you need help explaining inheritance or the diagnosis to them, your local genetic counselor may be able to help you.