Will My Children Get Psoriasis?

Question: Will My Children Get Psoriasis?

Many parents with psoriasis wonder if their children will also get the disease. Since psoriasis has a genetic basis, the question is legitimate, but the answers are often estimates at best.

Answer: Psoriasis has a genetic basis: Thirty-six percent to 91% of patients have some sort of family history of the disease. If both parents and a sibling have psoriasis however, the risk is as high as 83. Here are some other statistics to consider:

• one sibling with psoriasis: risk is 24%
• one parent with psoriasis: risk is 28%
• one sibling and one parent with psoriasis: risk is 41%
• two parents with psoriasis: risk is 65%

Note that in no case is the risk 100%, meaning that no one can say for certain that a given child will have psoriasis no matter what the family history. Also realize that psoriasis can occur in the complete absence of any family history.

_Source:

Gagnon L. Pediatric Psoriasis. Dermatology Times. 2008;29:17-19.