My Family Tree

In most cases, genetics play a large role in determining whether a person is born with a bleeding disorder. You can keep track of your own family tree to examine the incidence of bleeding disorders in your family.

The Family Tree is currently designed specifically for VWD patients and their families, but VWD is not the only bleeding disorder that is largely hereditary. Always let your doctor know what you know about the history of bleeding disorders in your family.

My Family Tree

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Your Family Tree and VWD

Most people who have VWD are born with it. VWD is usually passed from parent to child; however, because the symptoms may be mild, a family member could have VWD and never know it.¹ Also, because this disorder runs in families, people with VWD often have relatives (an aunt, grandparent, or cousin) with some form of unusual bleeding.² VWD is passed from parent to child in a pattern called autosomal dominant inheritance. This means that if one parent has VWD, the child has a 50% chance of inheriting a mild form of the disease. If both parents have VWD, the child could inherit either a mild (50% chance), or severe (25% chance) form of the disease. Take a look at the diagram below:

Spontaneous
Sometimes, VWD may occur without a family history. This is known as a new mutation. However, once a person has VWD, whether it is inherited or spontaneous, they can pass it along to their children.³

REFERENCES
1. White GC II, Montgomery RR. Clinical aspects of and therapy for von Willebrand disease. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ Jr, Shattil SJ, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone Inc; 2000:1946-1958.
2. Sham RL, Francis CW. Evaluation of mild bleeding disorders and easy bruising. Blood Rev. 1994;8:98-104.
3. Montgomery RR, Hilgartner MW. Understanding von Willebrand Disease. The National Hemophilia Foundation. 1991.