For those of us privately adopting infants this is rather scary news. A new study showed a connection between a mother suffering from severe stress during the first trimester of pregnancy and her child developing schizophrenia later in life. The study identified death, or severe illness that could result in death, of a close relative as a severe stressor. The study did not identify the stress of making a plan for an unexpected pregnancy as a severe stressor. However, the stress involved in planning for an unborn child is surely equal in magnitude to the stress of coping with the death or severe illness of a close relative. The article also quoted a report from the Archives of General Psychiatry that linked stress during pregnancy with an increased risk of prematurity and birth defects in the baby.

The current investigation involved analyzing data from 1.38 million births in Denmark between 1973 and 1995 by Dr. Kathryn M. Abel and colleagues from the University of Manchester in the UK. Once the children reached the age of 10 years, they were followed for the occurrence of schizophrenia.

Children who were born to mothers who experienced the death of a close relative during the first trimester of pregnancy were 67 percent more likely to develop schizophrenia than the children of non-stressed mothers were. Researchers indicated that the link between schizophrenia in offspring and first trimester stress is consistent with evidence gathered from whole populations exposed to severe stressors. They went on to conclude that environment probably influences neurodevelopment at the fetal-placental-maternal interface.

Should we as adoptive parents be concerned about our children developing a mental illness? When we adopt a child or give birth to a child, we are not guaranteed a long and healthy life for that child. That is part of our dream for our children but life is full of the unexpected. However, if we are aware of the possibilities then we can educate ourselves and watch for symptoms. Mental illness, like other disorders or diseases, usually has the best outcomes when found and treated early.

Two of our adopted children are at high risk for developing this disorder and we have been aware of that since their births. Symptoms usually appear around the teenage years or young adulthood. Research indicates that some aspects of this disease are hereditary so we are keeping our eyes and ears open.

Photo Credit: Creative commons Uploaded on December 10, 2006 by Dizzinbonn