Events Occurring During Pregnancy Linked to Schizophrenia in Offspring

I came across an interesting report this morning on Medscape in which they reported on a Danish study that found that in families with no history of mental illness, the loss of a loved one in a mother’s first trimester of pregnancy is associated with a significantly increased risk for schizophrenia in her child.

The study looked at 1.38 million Danish births occurring between 1973 and 1995, and researchers determined whether any relatives had died or received a diagnosis of cancer, heart attack, or stroke during each mother’s pregnancy. Their children were followed from their 10th birthday through June 30, 2005, or until they died, moved out of the country, or developed schizophrenia. Researchers found that the risk of schizophrenia and related disorders was approximately 67 percent greater among the offspring of women who had experienced the death of a relative during the first trimester, but the death of a relative up to six months before or at any other time during the pregnancy was not related to a risk for schizophrenia in the child.

The researchers believe that chemicals released by the mother’s brain in response to stress may have an effect on the fetus’ developing brain.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?