Is tetralogy of fallot a hereditary?

Answer 1

My 18 year-old son was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot at birth. We were told that the cause was unknown. It is known that babies born to mothers who drink or smoke have a higher incidence but I never drank or smoked and many "Tet" babies are born to women who don't. We have been told that it is not hereditary and neither my husband nor I were aware of anyone in our families with heart defects. However, since our son was born, three of my husband's first cousins have had a child with a heart defect that required surgery. One died, one only had to have one surgery to correct his defect and one will have her repair done this month. My son has had two surgeries and will require more in the future. I think this is a high number of heart defects in one family for there not to be some kind of genetic link.