Schizophrenia Tentatively Linked to Maternal Infections
November 28, 2007 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
Yesterday’s Washington Post reports on research that may reveal potential causes of schizophrenia starting as early as the womb. Says the article,
Over the past several decades, a steady stream of studies has documented that people born in winter and spring have an increased risk for schizophrenia, a serious mental illness characterized by disordered thinking, hallucinations and other psychotic symptoms.
Explanations for the increased risk have ranged from the astrological — different signs of the zodiac have been associated with various mental problems — to accounts that suggested the risk came from seasonal variations in sunlight.
In recent months and years, scientists have developed a different explanation: Studies show the increased risk of schizophrenia appears linked to maternal infections during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy — especially flu infections. Since the flu peaks in the fall, this might explain why babies born in the winter and spring have the higher risk.
The research is both intriguing and troubling. For one thing, it suggests that the origins of diseases such as schizophrenia might start as early as the womb. Indeed, symptoms of schizophrenia, which typically emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood and affects about 1 percent of the population, may only be the very last stage in a long process.
Learn more about schizophrenia:
Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King
