Congenital, hereditary and familial, difference?

[scilearner]

Hello everyone,

I thought I understood these terms, but got confused lately .

My understanding

Congenital- Present at birth

Familial: Occuring in family or its members

Hereditary: Transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring

My questions

1. Ok congenital means disease it present at birth. In familial and hereditary also the abnormal genes are present at birth if so why don't their diseases present at birth, why do they manifest later in life?

2. Are all familial diseases hereditary? I really can't differentiate these. Any examples

3. Also aren't some congenital diseases, hereditary/familial? Any examples.

4. Also in some classifications I have seen in textbooks. They take familial causes, under acquired causes section.How is familial and acquired cause, when it is genetic?

Thanks

Edited November 14, 2015 by scilearner