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The offspring of schizophrenics. II. Perinatal factors and IQ

R O Rieder, S H Broman, D Rosenthal

    Archives of General Psychiatry
    |July 1, 1977
    PubMed

    Insights

    Children of parents with schizophrenia showed slightly lower IQs, particularly males. Continuous schizophrenic offspring had weaker links to socioeconomic factors and stronger negative links to perinatal events, suggesting potential influence on schizophrenia development.

    Area of Science:

    • Child Psychology
    • Psychiatric Genetics
    • Developmental Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Children of parents with schizophrenia are at increased risk for developmental and psychiatric disorders.
    • Understanding the factors influencing cognitive development in this population is crucial for early intervention.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To examine IQ and its correlates in children of schizophrenic parents.
    • To investigate the influence of perinatal and socioeconomic factors on IQ in offspring of individuals with schizophrenia.

    Main Methods:

    • Administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children to 60 seven-year-old children of schizophrenic parents and matched controls.
    • Analyzed correlations between IQ and perinatal/socioeconomic factors using a larger comparison group.

    Main Results:

    • Offspring of schizophrenic parents exhibited slightly lower IQs, primarily in males.
    • Continuous schizophrenic offspring showed diminished correlation with socioeconomic factors and heightened negative correlation with perinatal events.
    • These effects were less pronounced in offspring of acute schizophrenics.

    Conclusions:

    • Perinatal events may negatively impact IQ in genetically susceptible individuals, particularly those with continuous schizophrenia.
    • These perinatal factors could play a role in the later development of schizophrenia.

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