Home > Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders > Multifactorial inheritance

Definition

Many common congenital malformations and diseases are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The term multifactorial inheritance is used to describe conditions that occur due to these multiple factors. In contrast to dominantly or recessively inherited diseases, multifactorial traits do not follow any particular pattern of inheritance in families. Multifactorial conditions do tend to cluster in families, but pedigree analysis does not reveal a specific pattern of affected individuals. Some multifactorial conditions occur because of the interplay of many genetic factors and limited environmental factors. Others occur because of limited genetic factors and significant environmental factors. The number of genetic and environmental factors vary, as does the...