can CFS be passed on through pregnancy???

cutie-pie

New Member

Joined : Feb 2006

Posts : 4

Posted 2/17/2006 7:24 PM (GMT 0)

Hi all. I'm new to this but not to CFS. I've been sick since early 1998 and officially diagnosed in late 2001. I was reading the forum (which is just great by the way...wish I had found something like this 7-8 years ago) Anyways, my question is this: If a woman living with CFS becomes pregnant can it be passed on to the child? Any feed back on this would be great. Thanks a bunch!

Cutie Pie

hippimom2

Veteran Member

Joined : Jul 2005

Posts : 5403

Posted 2/18/2006 3:06 PM (GMT 0)

This is a great question and I'm not sure I know the exact answer. I don't think you can necessarily pass the illness on to a baby, but I have read a lot of research about the role of genetics in autoimmune diseases and I'm pretty sure CFS is considered an autoimmune disorder. I know for myself, I have an aunt who has lupus and I have a brother who had chronic ebstein barr and several people with rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed years ago with CFS and I'm now being treated for lupus. I have 2 kids (a daughter 4yrs old and a son 8yrs old). Thankfully my daughter is very healthy, but my son has been showing signs of chronic illnesses since last year. He has had a great deal of fatigue and pain and catches every illness under the sun. So he's being followed by his pediatrician and may have to have a referral to a rheumatologist.

So, I don't think we necessarily give our illnesses to our children, but they may be more succeseptable to developing an illness.

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