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The offspring of schizophrenic couples
1Laboratory of Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, USA.
Journal of Psychiatric Research
|December 26, 2009
Summary
Children with two schizophrenic parents have a 35% risk of developing schizophrenia. This study explored genetic and environmental factors, finding maternal health during pregnancy more influential than genetics alone.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a complex etiology.
- Children with one affected parent have an elevated risk, but data on those with two affected parents are less clear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize existing research on the psychiatric outcomes for children raised by two parents with schizophrenia.
- To investigate potential genetic and environmental factors influencing the observed morbid expectancy rate.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and synthesis of previous epidemiological and genetic studies.
- Analysis of morbid expectancy rates in offspring of dual-schizophrenic parentage.
- Evaluation of genetic hypotheses versus environmental influences.
Main Results:
- The estimated morbid expectancy rate for schizophrenia in offspring of two schizophrenic parents is approximately 35%.
- Hypotheses involving benign modifying genes were not supported by the data.
- Increased perinatal mortality was observed, but attributed more to maternal health complications during pregnancy than to a double dose of a schizophrenia-related gene.
Conclusions:
- The 35% risk highlights a significant genetic contribution but also suggests the role of other factors.
- Environmental influences, particularly maternal health during pregnancy, appear to play a crucial role in perinatal outcomes and potentially in the development of schizophrenia.
- Further research is needed to disentangle the complex interplay of genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
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