title: Genetic family history assessment.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to familiarize nurses with why, how, when, and where a genetic family history assessment should be used in clinical practice. Pedigrees are diagrams that display the relationship among family members by using a combination of symbols and lines. They are used to record concisely a complete family history to identify the risk of transmitting inherited condition, to identify people at risk for development of adult-onset conditions, to aid in clinical diagnosis, and to serve as a reference for social and biologic relationships. A detailed explanation of the standardized pedigree nomenclature that was recommended by the Pedigree Standardization Task Force in 1995 is included. Step-by-step guidelines on taking a genetic family history and drawing pedigrees are provided. A case study is also included to illustrate pedigree construction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bender
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant / Q000235:genetics; D005808:Genes, Recessive / Q000235:genetics; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000235:genetics*; D008040:Genetic Linkage / Q000235:genetics; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D010375:Pedigree; D011247:Pregnancy