I have similar concerns with my kids the eldest has always complained of joint pains and has had a number of infections, mind you today he's only turning 8. I am bringing up this concern to my dr. Since from what I have learned from personal experience lupus can go undetected for years and you can be treated for a number of conditions without it really being diagnosed as lupus.

I didn't think anyone in my family had any connection either , but come to find out I have 2 siblings that have Graves' disease and another one that has Hashimoto disease of the thyroid and all 3 are autoimmune diseases . So I have 6 brothers and sisters and out of that 4 of us have that . Who knows about the others they never go to the Dr .

This is a great questions and I have read that it is hereditary yet my. Rheumatologist tells me it's not true. So, back to the question... I really think that no one has proven if so or not. I've educated my family on lupus symptoms and told them to get tested if any concerns. Now one of my sisters has fybromyagia as I did prior to lupus diagnose and it mimics lupus symptoms so I asked her to get tested. She is the most stubborn of all my siblings so I might have to drag her butt to the Dr. which is not difficult because we have the same Dr :) And I might just do that very soon.

I think the hereditary part is the autoimmune part you could have Lupus but some one else may have RA or any other one of that group. That's how it was explained to me .

From my research there is a genetic component and it can be hereditary. There are instances of identical twins where one has lupus and the other doesn't. As far as doctors and researchers can tell, people are genetically predisposed to it and an environmental event will trigger it. They don't know what that trigger is yet.