You might not realize that your father’s diabetes or your cousin’s sickle cell disease could affect your child, but this family history information could help save your child’s life.

According to a Pediatrics supplement, “Use of Family History Information in Pediatric Primary Care and Public Health,” that’s not the only family history information that can affect your child’s health or be important to their health care. Along with genes, your family often has similar behaviors, such as exercise habits, and a common culture, such as the foods you eat. You may live in the same area and come into contact with similar environmental factors. Family history includes these factors, which can all affect health.

In addition, a family history can help your child’s doctor make a diagnosis if your child shows signs of a disorder. It can reveal whether your child has an increased risk for a disease and, if so, can help your doctor suggest screening tests. Many genetic disorders first become obvious in childhood, and knowing about a history of a genetic condition can help find and treat the condition early.

U.S. Surgeon General’s online tool for collecting family histories:
https://familyhistory.hhs.gov

This entire CDC article at
http://www.cdc.gov/media/subtopic/matte/pdf/CDCHistoryMatteRelease.pdf 

Tool from the surgeon general:
https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action 

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