At present, there is no known way to prevent NF once a child is born with the mutant gene, but much research is being done. Genetic testing and counseling for affected families may be needed to help parents make decisions about having children.
The effects of NF1 are mild to moderate in most people, but lead to learning disabilities in about half of the people who have it. Other problems that may occur with NF1 and/or NF2 include:
NF is not catching, but it can be passed on from a parent to a child genetically.