Schizophrenia and having children ?

I was just reading about this subject, actually. This is from The Encyclopedia of Health - Psychological Disorders and their Treatment - Schizophrenia (ed. Solomon H. Snyder)

...Equally baffling are the cases of women who suffer schizophrenialike symptoms after childbirth. Although it is not uncommon for a new mother to suffer some depression following delivery of her baby, about 1 woman in 1000 suddenly develops sign of schizophrenia 3 to 7 days after giving birth.

(Gives some examples)

What triggers these symptoms is unknown. Psychological theories suggesting that delusions and hallucinations stem from the mother's ambivalent feelings about her child were once widely accepted. Today, biology is a prime suspect. A leading theory suggests that enormous changes in a woman's hormones that occur during and after birth are somehow responsible. Again, such symptoms do not represent actual schizophrenia. Most women recover with no future problems. Some do end up becoming schizophrenic, but experts believe they would have developed the disease even if they had never given birth.

These are from pages 38-39.

There is a great amount of evidence to suggest that schizophrenia is genetic so the chances of your wife having it are even greater. Furthermore, there is a fair chance that your child will have it as well.

If I were you, I'd adopt.

Hi, I would like some advice from people with experience, patients with the desease that have children. My husband has been diagnosed with the disease recently and does not want to take the 12% (from books) risk that our child/children would have the same disease. This is Very sad!! Please help!!

Hi, I'm 23 years old and my mother has suffered from schitziophrenia as long as I can remember. She also seems to have multiple personalities, at least 4 that I can point out. However she has a huge paranoia about anyone saying she has any type of mental disorder, so she has never been diagnosed. However several doctors have tried to prescribe her medication for different mental/ depression illnesses. She instead is a serious alcoholic and refuses any type of medication. My whole life I have been my mom's best friend and have always been there for her, helping her through many mental breakdowns and even suicide attemps when I was only 8 years old. During my younger years I was unaware that she had any disorder and thought the way she was, was normal for all moms. So there were alot of mental games that she played with my child mind that I am only now coming to terms with. Recently one of her personalities has taken a personal agenda to vindictively try to hurt me both emotionally and physically. She has my older brother convinced that I have been physically attacking her when it has been the other way around. I have moved out and have been in hiding. I have made the decision to join the military in order to get away from the crazyiness that is ingulfing my life right now. However it has always been my dream to start a family, I dearly love and want to have children... seeing as I raised my 3 younger siblings from such a small age. Luckily I have not been effected by any mental disorders, and none of my mother's 5 children have either. But what I am worried about is whether or not my future children will or could be effected by her serious mental illness? She is one out of 4 kids and they all suffer from schitziophrenia, her younger brother has been in an institution since the age of 18. Please give me some advice, or statistics on the disorder and how it effects 3rd generation. Can I have children?

Elizabeth

I am schizophrenic but determined to have children. So I'm considering when I meet the right guy, to have a surrogate mother with my egg and my partner's sperm implanted so we can still have a baby.

I am too worried about me having a baby incase my heart rate goes too fast or I have an extreme anxiety or panic attack when giving birth! Anyone else feel the same?

You wouldn't believe what causes it yet apparently.

My mother is schizophrenic. I have one sister that was born 10 years before I was. My mother developed schizophrenic symptoms after she was born that she was mostly able to control. After I was born, she again developed symptoms, but more severely and she was eventually not able to do anything. She is severely mentally ill, has never been able to work or be social, and lives in a Group Home. I have heard that her mother was schizophrenic as well.

However, Neither my sister nor I are schizophrenic. My sister has had 4 children and I have had two and all seem to be healthy so far.

I have heard that genetics is not the only factor. The environment that you are able to raise your children in is very important. If you can keep it very stable and low-stress for them as well as keep yourself extremely healthy nutritionally throughout your pregnancy and feed them well as children, I think their chances are much better.

Kind hard to digest if kids to inherit the deasease. But i think if we believe in the divine power and leave upto to him our worries thats the best coz Almighty, the lord and creator of universe gives problems to test and gets us out of it when we seek help coz he is the mercyful, the everlasting! Ofcourse that doesnt mean that we dont make an effort to have a healthy baby. Let ur gyn and phychatrist's work togethr and advice u so that there r no such complications in pregnancy. Good luck!

Hello! My mother is schizophrenic and her mother was, too. I had the same worries before I had children but I am just fine (they are 8 and 11 now) and my children seem to be fine as well. My sister is also fine and she has 5 children who are as well. Genetics is not the only thing that plays a role. Despite the fact that my mother is severely schizophrenic, I did have other supportive family members and my children have had a stable childhood and good nutrition. Both my mother and grandmother had nutritional issues in childhood and less stability. I hope this helps! There are absolutely no guarantees in life. I think that if you have the means to care for children and you want to have them, you should go for it.