Is Turner Syndrome Hereditary?
While Turner syndrome is genetic in that it involves the loss or abnormal expression of X-chromosome genes, it is not usually hereditary in the conventional sense. That is, it does not typically “run in families.” The one exception to this observation are families with a X-chromosome deletion which is stable enough to be passed down through the generations and which also allows fertility. Turner syndrome affects all races, nationalities and regions of the world equally, and parents who have produced many unaffected children may still have a child with Turner syndrome. There are no known toxins or environmental hazards that increase the chances of Turner syndrome. A woman with Turner syndrome has a low probability of being fertile, since the ovaries are negatively impacted in this disorder. However, if she does become pregnant and passes on her normal X-chromosome to her offspring, no continuation of the syndrome is expected.
