Question: congenital diaphragmatic hernia I need to know if CDH can be passed down to future generations.  I just learned that this condition most likely caused the death of my first child back in 1971.  I was then told it was merely a fluke.  I had NO trauma during the full-term pregnancy, and I and my then husband were in very good health.  Now my son (from a different husband) and his wife are due to have fraternal twins in  2015.  Does the term 'congenital' mean that it could be passed down to another generation?  I do not want to alarm my son and his wife.  I just would like to inform whatever pediatrician is caring for these babies as to my experience.  Unfortunately my son and I are estranged.  And I do not know who is their pediatrician.  My child's CDH was very severe.  I know there are far less severe cases that can go undetected &/or undiagnosed unless there is a reason to suspect such a condition.  Please respond to my concerns.

Reference:
congenital diaphragmatic hernia (Genetic Changes): Congenital diaphragmatic hernia has many different causes. In 10 to 15 percent of affected individuals, the condition appears as a feature of a disorder that affects many body systems, called a syndrome. Donnai-Barrow syndrome, Fryns syndrome, and Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome are among several syndromes in which congenital diaphragmatic hernia may occur. Some of these syndromes are caused by changes in single genes, and others are caused by chromosomal abnormalities that affect several genes.   About 25 percent of individuals with congenital diaphragmatic hernia that is not associated with a known syndrome also have abnormalities of one or more major body systems. Affected body systems can include the heart, brain, skeleton, intestines, genitals, kidneys, or eyes. In these individuals, the multiple abnormalities likely result from a common underlying disruption in development that affects more than one area of the body, but the specific mechanism responsible for this disruption is not clear.   Approximately 50 to 60 percent of congenital diaphragmatic hernia cases are isolated, which means that affected individuals have no other major malformations.   More than 80 percent of individuals with congenital diaphragmatic hernia have no known genetic syndrome or chromosomal abnormality. In these cases, the cause of the condition is unknown. Researchers are studying changes in several genes involved in the development of the diaphragm as possible causes of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Some of these genes are transcription factors, which provide instructions for making proteins that help control the activity of particular genes (gene expression). Others provide instructions for making proteins involved in cell structure or the movement (migration) of cells in the embryo. Environmental factors that influence development before birth may also increase the risk of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, but these environmental factors have not been identified.

Answer: More than 80 percent of congenital diaphragmatic hernia are not associated with a genetic syndrome or chromosomal abnormality. In these cases the causes of the hernia are not known, although environmental factors may play a role. In other individuals the condition is caused by changes in single genes or chromosomal abnormalities that affect several genes.