By what name is the fear of heredity known?

Patroiophobia is the fear of heredity. Some people may fear heredity because they worry that their children will inherit deformities or mental disorders. The origin of the word patro is Latin (meaning father) and phobia is Greek (meaning fear).

It is generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of external events (i.e. traumatic events) and internal predispositions (i.e. heredity or genetics). Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age. Social phobias and agoraphobia have more complex causes that are not entirely known at this time. It is believed that heredity, genetics, and brain chemistry combine with life-experiences to play a major role in the development of phobias.

It is also important to note that medicines do not cure phobias, at best they only temporarily suppress the symptoms. However, there are treatments for phobias, which include counseling, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and Neuro-Linguistic programming.

Basiphobia is the fear of falling, cynophobia is the fear of dogs, and gamophobia is the fear of commitment.