Sunday, March 30, 2008

Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) and Genetics

The American Heart Association posted a new "Ask the Pediatric Cardiologist" question today on DTGA and genetic factors, including increased risk of having children in the future who also have heart defects. For information, click here. According to this source...

For a couple who's had one child with DTGA and has no other family members with transposition, the chance of having another child with DTGA increases slightly to about 18 in 1,000 or 1.8 percent. This is also about the same chance of this baby being born with a form of congenital heart disease other than DTGA. This gives a greater than 98 percent chance that the baby will be born with a normal heart.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My first child was born with TGA in 2005. He passed away during the arterial switch. In 2006 we had a daughter with a perfectly normal heart.
However, in 2010, we had another son also with TGA. He made it through the surgery but passed away in NCICU at 6 weeks old due to other complications.

We have been for genetic testing and have been told we are fine. If anyone has any info on this happening to other couples twice, please could you let know.
Many thanks.

Anonymous said...

I have ready studies where TGA can be a familial process. Google transposition of the great arteries and genetics, you will find the specific mutations they have found in these studies.