Child's Autism Linked to Parents' Mental Illness

Pandora · May 5, 2008

I found this article interesting. While it makes sense, I hope they do further study.

In another sign pointing to an inherited component to autism, a study released on Monday found that having a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled a child's risk of being autistic.

"Our research shows that mothers and fathers diagnosed with schizophrenia were about twice as likely to have a child diagnosed with autism," said Julie Daniels of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who worked on the study.

"We also saw higher rates of depression and personality disorders among mothers, but not fathers," she said in a statement.

More at link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24465288

pixies · May 5, 2008

Wow.
(Without getting into the debate of vaccines causing autism)

Personally, I have a cousin who is bipolar and 2 out of 3 of her kids have autism. These poor kids have no stability and with her as a mom they have no hope of getting the proper treatment.
Her mom (who married my dad's brother) is also suffering from mental illness. Totally genetic, I'm sure, the whole family is kind of "off".

Taximom · May 5, 2008

I always knew it was my fault!

Yeah me · May 5, 2008

I think the cause of Autism is both genetic and environmental and that is why it has been so hard for researchers to pinpoint the exact cause of the illness. It looks like forward progress is being made, but only because statistics are climbing.

czechmate7 · May 5, 2008

Taximom said:
I always knew it was my fault!

Really....same here....Nothing like giving my ex more ammo with this news!!:doh:

Taximom · May 5, 2008

All joking aside, I do see how this could play a part in autism and all other disorders. Sadly, we have bi-polar in 3 generations (Grandfather/his son/son's daughter) which started outside of our family but is now in our family.

Amraann · May 5, 2008

There is no one answer to what causes autism.

pixies · May 5, 2008

:slap: (in a loving way!!)
:snooty::snooty:

Taximom said:
I always knew it was my fault!

believe09 · May 5, 2008

How can they tell if it is the disorder or the meds that might cause the autism?

I saw a compelling study on Vitamin D deficiency and an autism link-if you consider the increase in people staying out of the sun and using sunscreens the last 15 years, it also makes sense that there seems to be this "explosion."

SeriouslySearching · May 5, 2008

Hmmm...interesting. I can see how it could be a small factor tho.

We have reason to believe that my ex-sil is Bi-Polar. We do know his father is...as it has been well documented.

csds703 · May 5, 2008

I am not aware of anyone in our family with any mental illnesses, nor has that been a factor with any of the other autistic kids I know.

I think the jury is still out on the causes.

AmandaBrown23 · May 5, 2008

It seems like they have a new reason every other day for autism. I sure hope they can find out more

Taximom · May 5, 2008

pixies said:
:slap: (in a loving way!!)
:snooty::snooty:

I knew I'd get slapped, but I thought it would be verbally! LOL There has to be some humor in this.

Remember back in the 50's and 60's it WAS blamed on 'cold' mothers....

pixies :blowkiss:

OneLostGrl · May 5, 2008

Taximom said:
I knew I'd get slapped, but I thought it would be verbally! LOL There has to be some humor in this. Remember back in the 50's and 60's it WAS blamed on 'cold' mothers....

pixies :blowkiss:

I still have times were I blame myself for my sons mental illnesses. And when I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar I had my tubes tied so I couldn't "give it" to another child.

mostlylurking · May 5, 2008

Just finding out in the last few months that my 9 yr old likely has Asperger's.
Interesting link to depression or mental issues.... Depression runs in my family -- yep I have been treated myself......

Personally, from what I've studied thus far, I think it is partly a societal evolution of the right and left brain learning to work together......

Taximom · May 6, 2008

OneLostGrl said:
I still have times were I blame myself for my sons mental illnesses. And when I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar I had my tubes tied so I couldn't "give it" to another child.

You are very sweet, OLG.

My precious relative does not want to have children because she suffers from bi-polar issues. She worries what kind of mother she would be as well as what she might pass on.

If I had had my youngest first, I do wonder if I would have planned any more....probably not.

philamena · May 6, 2008

It was not clear if it was significant that having a mother, but not a father, with certain mental illnesses, raised the risk of autism.

This is in the last paragraph of the article.
Maybe they should finish that study, so something so important is either clear or unclear.

csds703 · May 6, 2008

philamena said:
This is in the last paragraph of the article.
Maybe they should finish that study, so something so important is either clear or unclear.

I don't understand the point of publishing an "unclear" result.

believe09 · May 6, 2008

OneLostGrl said:
I still have times were I blame myself for my sons mental illnesses. And when I was finally diagnosed with Bipolar I had my tubes tied so I couldn't "give it" to another child.

oh my-powerful action, OLG. I know that there is suffering that comes with bi-polar as well as other mental illnesses...a lot from misunderstanding and the desire to shun things that cannot be "fixed," IMO.

BUT-I subscribe to the "Equus" theory so to speak-A world of cookie cutter psyches and intellect would be boring at the minimum, and would most likely cause us to be extinct. The reason I feel this way is that I have seen some incredible genius in moments of mania-some of the most brilliant and talented people I know have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bi-polar/manic depression. i can say the same for Aspbergers and lots of other "versions" of autism. What may seem to be a defect in behavior may ultimately end up some day being a more evolved brain...who can say for sure at this point?

I struggle with the concept of medicating all of it away....I hope I haven't offended anyone.

bnhall · May 6, 2008

csds703 said:
I don't understand the point of publishing an "unclear" result.

I just found the real scientific article.

Parental psychiatric disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders in the offspring. Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):e1357-62.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/5/e1357

RESULTS: Parents of children with autism were more likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder than parents of control subjects. Schizophrenia was more common among case mothers and fathers compared with respective control parents. Depression and personality disorders were more common among case mothers but not fathers.

More often than not, the journalist didn't understand the work, has paraphased and is incorrect as to what the study actually says.

Child's Autism Linked to Parents' Mental Illness

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