Does IBD run in families?

It can. It is rare. But there are a lot of families with a lot of autoimmune diseases running through their genetic makeup, how it manifests in people can be interesting. That being said, there is a low percentage that a parent will give birth to a child that will also have IBD, specifically the same kind of IBD.

I personally have a cousin through marriage who has Crohn's. We often joke that we have all aspects of autoimmune diseases covered. She has Crohn's, I have ulcerative colitis, our cousin has lupus, my brother, T1 diabetes, my father psoriasis and our grandmother has RA. 😀
-Brooke
(inflammatoryboweldisease.net Team Member)

I can only speak for my family: There are several of us with IBD. Me, my sister, my father's brother, my father's sister. So, it does appear to run in our family.

My mother and I have Crohn’s. However, our symptoms are different. I had a protocolectomy with an ileostomy surgery, and she just had a piece of her ileum removed.

Yes. It often does run in families. My family is a good example. I have two brothers who developed Crohn's disease and also a grandpa who got it late in life. 3 out of 4 brothers with it shows a strong genetic link.

It definitely has a genetic link. That said, there are enviornmental factors that contribute to the development of IBD that are not fully understood. It is for this reason that sometimes one identical twin will have it and the other will not.

Best,

Matt (Team Member)