Fava bean disease can be inherited from mothers to their sons and daughters, but its genetic inheritance is male-female differentiated and cross-inherited. Fava bean disease is a hereditary disease caused by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, which is manifested by hemolytic anemia caused by consuming fresh fava beans or inhaling fava bean pollen. The gene for the pathology of fava bean disease is on the X chromosome, so its genetic inheritance is male-female differentiated and cross-inherited. If the father is normal and the mother is a serovar bean disease patient, 50% of the boys born are likely to have serovar bean disease; 50% of the girls born are normal, but 50% are likely to carry a recessive defective X chromosome. Therefore, a son’s disease must be inherited from his mother; a daughter’s disease is inherited from both parents. For pregnant women with fava bean disease, it is recommended to do prenatal screening, regular maternity checkups and daily preventive measures against the onset of the disease, and to seek medical attention if there is any maladjustment.