Is a diaphragmatic hernia inheritable?
No, a diaphragmatic hernia is usually not hereditary. Although genetic causes for the development of congenital diaphragmatic hernias in infants can be found, hereditary would mean that diaphragmatic hernias occur more frequently in the families of the affected children. This is not the case.
Acquired diaphragmatic hernias, such as the hiatus hernia, in which the stomach slides into the thorax, are almost never genetically determined, but are usually the result of an unhealthy lifestyle (overweight, low-fiber diet). In rare cases, exceptions can be hereditary diseases that are associated with weakness of the connective tissue.In these cases, however, other clinical pictures are usually in the foreground.
