The so-called congenital disorders are congenital abnormalities in the fetus caused by the mother’s exposure to certain environmental hazards during pregnancy, such as chemicals like pesticides, organic solvents, heavy metals, or overexposure to various types of radiation, or by taking certain drugs or contracting certain bacteria. Congenital disorders are not considered hereditary.
Congenital leukemia is very rare in clinical practice and is defined as leukemia diagnosed from birth to week 4, with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) predominating. However, its incidence has increased in recent years due to factors such as environmental pollution and home renovation. Children are born with infiltrative skin nodules, hepatosplenomegaly, elevated peripheral blood naïve leukocyte counts, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Congenital leukemia may also be combined with other congenital malformations, such as Down syndrome.
Therefore, most leukemias are not congenital, but are the result of a combination of genetic and acquired environmental factors.