Question
My girlfriend’s mother is mentally retarded, her IQ is the same as a child, and my girlfriend is normal. We are about to get married. I want to know if mental retardation can be inherited across generations and whether DNA testing can detect the risk of inheritance?
Answer
Whether mental retardation can be inherited across generations depends on whether the mother’s mental retardation is congenital or caused by a later disease. If it is congenital, there is a certain risk of inheritance across generations. If it is a later disease, such as encephalitis, it usually does not cross-generational inheritance. Children may face the risk of mental retardation, so parents should immediately take their children to the doctor, avoid blind medication, and closely observe changes in their child’s symptoms to help them receive timely treatment.