HCMA FORUM ARCHIVE
12-17-2002, 10:33 AM
[children affected?]
Author: Debbie (---.glen-net.ca)
Date: 04-22-02 10:18
my husband was just diagnosed with hocm, we are still trying to learn as much as possible. Our doctor recommended that our sons ages 6 and 8 should also be tested. How worried should we be?
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[Re: children affected?]
Author: Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 04-22-02 11:12
Dear Debbie
Typically, HCM is autosomal dominant, which means that each of your children had a 50/50 chance of getting the HCM gene. So, both of them may not have it and both of them may have it. There is no way to know, honestly. In my family, 2 of 4 have have it, 3 of 6, etc, when you look at sets of kids, but that is just one example.
And since they are so young, they should get an echocardiogram (which is painless) every year till their 20s and then every couple of years. HCM usually doesn't present itself till the early teen to early 20s, because the hypertrophy grows as the child grows and may not become too thick till later.
Now that you know to watch for it, you are much better off. There are treatment options for your husband and for the kids, should they need it.
Please call the HCMA office to get the name of an HCM specialist. 973-983-7429.
take care,
Sarah
Author: Debbie (---.glen-net.ca)
Date: 04-22-02 10:18
my husband was just diagnosed with hocm, we are still trying to learn as much as possible. Our doctor recommended that our sons ages 6 and 8 should also be tested. How worried should we be?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: children affected?]
Author: Sarah Beckley (---.dsl.mindspring.com)
Date: 04-22-02 11:12
Dear Debbie
Typically, HCM is autosomal dominant, which means that each of your children had a 50/50 chance of getting the HCM gene. So, both of them may not have it and both of them may have it. There is no way to know, honestly. In my family, 2 of 4 have have it, 3 of 6, etc, when you look at sets of kids, but that is just one example.
And since they are so young, they should get an echocardiogram (which is painless) every year till their 20s and then every couple of years. HCM usually doesn't present itself till the early teen to early 20s, because the hypertrophy grows as the child grows and may not become too thick till later.
Now that you know to watch for it, you are much better off. There are treatment options for your husband and for the kids, should they need it.
Please call the HCMA office to get the name of an HCM specialist. 973-983-7429.
take care,
Sarah