RESUMO
Parental exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) can induce mutation in germline that may lead to genome instability, chromosomal aberrations, sex ratio variations, increased cancer susceptibility, and even increased probability of birth defects among their offspring, which substantially increase the burden of hereditary diseases. Up to now, the hereditary effect of IR has been observed in a number of species, but there is lack of evidence in humans. With reference to related studies in China and globally, this article reviews the human epidemiological studies of the hereditary effect of IR and briefly discusses why the hereditary effect of IR is not obvious in humans, so as to provide a reference for future assessment of the hereditary effect of radiation in China.