HomeAnswersMedical Gastroenterologyautoimmune disorderWill the offspring be affected if both parents have an autoimmune disease?

I have hypothyroidism and skin allergy. Can I marry a person with ulcerative colitis?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Preetha. J

Published At November 9, 2020
Reviewed AtAugust 27, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am taking tablets for hypothyroidism and have a skin allergy. I decided to marry a person but later found out that he has ulcerative colitis. Will this cause any health issues for our baby as we both have an autoimmune disease? My blood group is A-, and he is B+.

Answered by Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease? It is common to have hypothyroidism at your age because of a lack of iodine in the diet, which causes some enlargement of the thyroid gland. They soon shrink, and the size will reduce once iodine supplements are replaced. However, autoimmune thyroid disease is an antibody (immune cell) induced disease, which can happen, and run in families. Ulcerative colitis is also an autoimmune disease, and almost 25% time, it comes from parents. There are surely other non established risk factors, like water, smoking, diet, age, gender (more common in females), can collectively play a role in the causation of ulcerative colitis. The problem with ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune diseases is that there is no specific risk factor or cause for the condition. Genetics is although one of many factors, but not a sole cause. So to answer your concern, yes, there are chances that your offspring (baby) can develop these conditions as well. Since there is no exact cut data, I can quote you or tell you in percentages and figures. The surprising thing of note is, your finance may not have any positive family history of ulcerative colitis, and yet he developed this himself.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Ajeet Kumar
Dr. Ajeet Kumar

Medical Gastroenterology

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