GENETIC GENEALOGY YOUR ANCESTOR'S GENES AND YOU TRACKING YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH

This page is only meant to help develop an awareness in keeping track of family health issues; physical, mental, emotional and behavorial. It is in no way a final and authoritative document on genetically associated diseases and behavorial dysfunctions. You are encouraged to consult with medical personnel trained in the diagnosis and treatment of same.

In recent years, genetic genealogy, as a branch of genealogical research, has become an important factor in personal health. Medical information gathered about relatives can become instrumental in preventive medicine and saving lives. Information about family members behavior, emotional stability and relationships is coming into importance.

In the past, when one filled out a medical history form at the doctor's office, is wasn't unusual for most queries to pertain only to that person and his or her parents, her mother in particular. Sometimes, there were questions about maternal grandmothers. Sometimes information was queried about the paternal side of the family... siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins didn't count. Today, that is changing.

As genealogists, we are a step ahead in becoming involved in this important research. We do genealogy because we are interested in all the little innuendoes about our kin, both in our ancestor lines and collateral lines. We love the challenge of collecting death certificates, family stories and other bits and pieces of what could be called family gossip. It's these items that tell us whether a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin had, or had a tendency toward, a medical problem.

One of the best known cases of genealogy and genetic tracking is the family of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and her husband Prince Albert. Out of nine children, this couple produced one hemophilic son and at least two daughters known to be carriers. Of the other three daughters, one did not have children and the other two did not have any hemophilic children. Victoria and Albert's descendants, through the two daughters who were known carriers, married back into royal families throughout Europe and Russia, thus spreading hemophilia into some of these families. The most affected being the royal houses of Russia and Spain. To this day there is speculation as to how or what caused this medical dysfunction to manifest itself. Theories range from Victoria having a mutant gene to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, not being Victoria's natural father.

Heredity has been considered to be a factor in the following: (This is NOT a complete list.)
Hemophilia Diabetics Alcoholism Breast Cancer Melanoma Prostate Cancer Heart Disease Allergies Menier Disease Choroidermia Cystic Fibrosis Color Blindness Colon Cancer	Pancreatic Cancer Arthritis Eating Disorders Schizphrenia Parkinson's Disease Attention Deficit Disorder Alport Syndrome Usher Syndrome High Cholesterol Sickle Cell Anemia Baldness Tay-Sachs Disease Proteus Syndrome

Mapping out your medical family tree is an extension of the ancestor and descendant charts that genealogists already use. This time when you draw out your chart leave space to add your descendants, siblings, parents, and the same type spaces for each generation going back in time. Starting with yourself, enter the known medical facts about you, your parents, your siblings, and your children. Vital record dates are part of the facts.

You can also use symbols to indicate various items on your chart such as;

A square = male
A circle = female
A diamond = unknown sex
A "P" within a diamond = pregnant
   One of the above symbols with a diagonal line = deseased
   One of the above symbols with a dot = carrier
   One of the above symbols filled in = diseased
A horizonal connecting line with double slash marks = separated or divorced
A vertical connecting line with slash marks = adopted

Other symbols can be found in the books listed below.

To help you collect this information, make a medical questionnaire containing questions that concern you about yourself and your family. You can use a model from the books listed below. The books have detailed instructions on how to proceed.

Please remember. There will be members in your family who will not wish to share either medical or behavioral information. Behavioral information in particular will be very hard to obtain. This is very common. One's feelings are hard to express. Handle these situations with love. When these people see what you are doing and accomplishing they will be more apt to help.

Books are now being written with the genealogists in mind.

Genetic Connections: A Guide to documenting Your Individual and Family Health History by Danette L. Nelson-Anderson, R.N., B.S.N., and Cynthia V. Waters. How Healthy Is Your Family Tree?: A Complete Guide to Tracing Guide to Tracing your Family's Medical and Behavioral History by Carol Krause, forward by Leo Lagasse, M.D. Genograms in Family Assesment by Monica McGoldrick, M.S.W., and Randy Gerson, PhD.

Those of us who have gone through life threating situations urge you to become aware of your family's medical history. If you are in a high risk catagory there is no time like the present to begin. Tomorrow may be to late. If you need help, or a place to start, check with your family doctor, local library, local hospitals, churches, support groups, medical websites, chat rooms, and query sites, specific disease sites and university sites.

Links of interest: (Friendly reminder. In research one source is never enough.)
2 Articles.    "Tracing Your Family Health History"    "Family Tree Can Save Your Life" THE DETROIT NEWS,    "Health: Children of heart attact victims face    higher risks" Glory's Glorious "Anything Medical Page" Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center	ADHD Teaching Students With Attention-    Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Welcome to the Genome Web Genealogy as a tool for self-knowledge and family therapy National Cancer Institute

Researching relatives' physical characteristics and aptitude skills also falls under the heading of genetic genealogy. We've all heard someone say:

"He looks just like his father. I'd know him anywhere."
"She sounds just like her mother on the phone."
"She has a 'sixth sense' just like her grandmother."
"Those cousins could charm the socks of you."
"Everyone in that family was a master carpenter."
"All the men in that family were large."
"My mother had one green and one blue eye."
"His grandfather was musical, too."

Here are a few attributes to start you thinking.
Play a musical instrument Short Tall Light blue-eyed Brown eyed Have curly hair Win an athletic event A public speaker Inventor Over weight Thin A dancer Have a droopy eyelid Narrow feet Primary hand or foot smaller than the other	Have wide space between their first two toes Have long fingers Have wide nails Do gymnastics Do balancing acts Read a lot Super spelling skills Skilled at table games Have a large nose Ambidextrous Able to curl the tongue Sing Longevity

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