Autism Linked to Schizophrenia
Researchers say they have discovered a link between childhood
autism and mental illness in parents; they suggest that the parents of
autistic children are twice as likely to have had a psychiatric illness.
The researchers at the the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill in the States, examined the records of more than 30,000 children
and found that rates of autism rose substantially if parents had
suffered schizophrenia, depression or a range of other personality and
psychiatric disorders.
They say a child's risk of autism is 70% greater if one parent was
diagnosed with a mental illness, and twice as high as average if both
parents had psychiatric disorders.
The suggestion is that autism and psychiatric problems possibly have a common cause and a genetic link.
The researchers, led by Julie Daniels examined the medical records
of 1,237 Swedish children born between 1977 and 2003 who were diagnosed
with autism before the age of 10.
The records were linked to their parents' medical histories, which
included details of any mental disorders they had been treated for and
then compared to the medical records of a further 30,925 healthy
children.
Dr. Daniels says their research showed that mothers and fathers
diagnosed with schizophrenia were about twice as likely to have a child
diagnosed with autism and higher rates of depression and personality
disorders were seen amongst mothers, but not fathers of autistic
children.
The strongest association between a child's autism and a parent's mental illness in the parent was with schizophrenia.
The finding supports previous research which also indicated a
genetic basis for autism where studies on twins have shown that if an
identical twin has autism, the chances of the other twin also being
autistic are extremely high.
Autism appears in about 1% of children and boys are four times more likely to develop it than girls.
Earlier this year, the largest study on the issue dismissed any link between the MMR triple vaccine and autism.
The latest research will help doctors to distinguish between the
different types of behavioural disorder which come under the label of
autism.
Dr. Daniels who is an assistant professor in the UNC School of
Public Health's epidemiology and maternal and child health departments,
says autism includes a wide spectrum of disorders that are probably
caused by different things and the more groups of individuals with the
classification of autism can be refined, the better equipped scientists
will be to look for causes and treatments.
The research is published in the journal Pediatrics.
Read the Opposing Views debate: "Is There a Link Between Autism and Vaccines?"
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when one considers the history of the autism diagnosis in the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM).In the 1st edition there was no separate diagnosis for autism. Instead children who exhibited autistic traits were diagnosed with schizophrenic reaction, childhood type label.
The 2nd edition,DSM-II, included this wording describing schizophrenia : “the condition may be manifested by autistic, atypical and withdrawn behavior.” Again children who displayed autistic traits were labeled schizophrenic reaction, childhood type.Only in the 3rd edition,is autism acknowledged as a separate diagnostic category--in 1980--thirty two years after the professional standard's rough beginnings.
So when researchers say "The strongest association between a child 's autism and a parent's mental illness in the parent was with schizophrenia." what exactly does this tell us? Both conditions measure subjective data (interpreting the nature of reality in the case of schizophrenia and utilizing social cues in the case of autism)and talk about their findings in an "objective" manner.
I put the word objective in quotes because no matter how hard we try to lay aside bias , it is inevitably present in our words and actions. Perhaps even more so in disciplines heavily guarded against subjective judgments. Long story short, the world is far more mercurial than one would believe!
Both de novo autism and de novo schizophrenia, without any family history is linked to older paternal age. New cases of bipolar disorder which is non-familial and Alzheimer's, and cancers, autoimmune disorders are found in offspring of older fathers. There is much research on this topic that is peer reviewed. Type 1 diabetes, MS, epilepsy, birth defects, many single gene disorder rise as the father's age rises. Read the autism prevention blogspot thoroughly for the details or the Age of the father and the health of Future generations blogspot.
Now it's Schizophrenia. The bad thing about research is for every 'study' that supports one set of views, there are three others that support an opposite conclusion. Autism? It's the water, bad parenting, vaccinations, genetics, heavy metals, pollution, preservatives, etc.. etc., etc...
As the Dad of six children with Autism I'm more concerned with research that can help the Autistic person to have a more full life. Research to uncover the best in education, social training, nutrition and treatments. Some funding spent on 'why' is acceptable, but the bulk needs to be addressing the here and now and plan for the future.
Funding for Autism research is good, funding to help with day to day living, is better.
Autism is a spectrum disorder, caused by a spectrum of reasons, needing a spectrum of treatments and a spectrum of funding. (Spectrum: A broad sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, or activities).
Our country must get moving to discover what can be done improve this situation. If every parent of Autism will be an advocate we can make a HUGE difference for our children. So make calls, write, search and read. Do what you can when you can. We are all in this together and we need each one of us.