Hello there, my name is Patrick Stewart and I have upper PFFD. I know that the condition is not genetic since no one else in my family has ever been diagnosed. Recently though, I have discovered that my girlfriend is now 8 weeks pregnant and I am extremely concerned that this will be passed on to my now unborn child. Please someone let me know your thoughts and feelings. If anyone is out there with PFFD and has had a child, PLEASE let me know if they were born with or with out our condition.
Comments
So Far so good
Hi Patrick,
I have 2 kids, both healthy and symmetrical. It was a huge worry of mine as well, and I made sure that the ultrasound tech did femur measurements looking for PFFD. I found out they do the measurements anyway as a means to check fetal age and growth, but my wife had primed her about my fears and she made sure to point it out to me. Good luck with the new baby. Get some sleep now, my daughter is 4 weeks old and I haven't slept well in, oh, about 4 weeks now ;)
Nick
Relax! :)
Hi, Patrick. I have bilateral PFFD, and although I don't have any children, I feel pretty confident in telling you that the odds of your child being born with this condition are extremely slim. Given that the rate of occurence is anywhere between 1-50,000 to 1-100. 000 births, it is highly improbable that your child will have PFFD.
As you already stated, PFFD is NOT a genetic condition. The fact that you have PFFD in no way increases your child's odds of being born with it as well.
Congratulations on becoming a dad!
will your child have PFFD?
Hi Patrick,
My name is Sara and I know everything you read states that PFFD is not genetic. Well, I have 6 year old identicle twin boys who both have unilateral PFFD. They are mirror image twins so one has it on his left leg and his little leg's foot comes right below his big leg's knee. The other boy has it on his right leg and it is only 2-3 inches shorter than his other leg. Obviously maybe something happened in utero that caused them both to be affected but I don't know. Also, their prostethist has a another patient that has PFFD and that patient's dad also has PFFD. So even though studies show that it is not genetic, my husband and I know that there is a chance we could one day have grandkids with PFFD. And though I would not wish it on a fly, if there will be anyone who will be able to understand and relate to what they are going through, it will be their own family. Plus, the way we look at it is, God made our sons this way for a very special reason and He has a perfect plan and purpose for them here on this earth. Yes it is tough and there are days when I want to cry my son's tears for him and just "poof" make his leg grow, I know who is in control and I have faith that God knows best and that He sees the "big picture". Hang in there. There is most likely a good chance your child will be perfectly normal. Sorry if this post was a downer to you! Hope it helps.
Chances are Slim to None
There is almost no way your child will have pffd. As you know it's NOT a genetic condition, so your child has the same chance as any other to have the condition. Scientists don't know exactly what causes it, but they think it might have something to do with chemicals in cigarettes and certain birth control hormones.
-Zach R.
Re: I have PFFD, will my child have it too?
Short answer: No. A parent with PFFD will not cause the child to have it also.
Longer Answer: Since PFFD is a non-genetic condition, the only way your embryo would develop PFFD is if it was also exposed to something in early development. See http://www.pffd.org/what_causes_pffd.htm
Congratulations:-) I don`t
Congratulations:-)
I don`t think you should worry to much. I have PFFD, and when I wanted children, I asked my doctor if there was any risk regarding having children. He said that it was 98% chance that my children would NOT get pffd. Today I have two children, and none of them is having this:-)