Schizophrenia/Children?

my husband was diagnosed with A VERY MILD case of schizophrenia in April of 02, yes I know schizophrenia is schizophrenia but the "best" two docotrs where we live says he has such a mild case...My husband was put on medication and has been great ever since...He was only hospitlized once in April and sicne then we just see a psych doctor once every 3-6 months...He is graduating from college next month and has continued working fulltime at a bank...So, his whole illness has been very mild and I have been very lucky...The only other personevery diagnosed in his family with a mental illness was his dads sister...which would be his aunt....No other people were ever diagnosed or even hospitalized or anything...There is NO mental illnesses on my side of the family...Anyway, now that were married and starting careers we want to have a child...I know that I will love my child no matter what, and ultimately its left in gods hands, but does anyone know what the risk of my husband passing it on?

I know I'm going to get tons of thumbs down for saying this... but you're going to drive yourself crazy by asking the same question over and over on Y!A. This is the fourth time you've asked and I can see by the answers you keep getting that most of the people answering you are armchair geneticists and psychiatrists just throwing guesses out there. This is not the way to put your mind at ease!

So, speaking as someone who actually went to school for years to learn about mental health, works in the mental health field, and actually works with schizophrenic patients, I can tell you that about half of the answers you've been getting are not based on a single scientific fact.

Schizophrenia is not completely dependent on genetics. Genetics plays a part but it is not the whole picture. Schizophrenia also depends on environmental factors, too. To quote the link that I'm pasting at the end of this response:

"The current belief is that there are a number of genes that contribute to susceptibility or pathology of schizophrenia, but none exhibit full responsibility for the disease. It is believed that schizophrenia is much like cancer, which is caused by a number of genetic and environmental factors."

So, since there are so many factors that come into play none of the people on Y!A should be giving you an answer unless they're a medical doctor or a geneticist. This is why I encouraged you to go see a doctor earlier today.

Please, talk to your husbands doctor. Talk to your ob/gyn. They do this work day in and day out. Even I don't do this work day in and day out. I work with the adults with the illness. I don't try to figure out whether or not they'll pass it onto their kids. Your doctors can give you a much more accurate answer, a scientific answer. None of this guessing you've been getting from people.

Please, stop driving yourself crazy with this guessing game online.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/index.php

That occurs only to Teenagers & Adults.

Your child would have a greater chance than if there was no one in the family with schizophrenia:

http://www.mhsource.com/schizophrenia/sc...

50 percent chance. He has it, you don't. But it may not show up until later in his life, like 16-21.

Whatever they tell you...SCHIZO is NOT genetically based so your child will be fine....schizophrenia is a dissociative disorder...which im my opinon is totally learned....while studies have shown sibling instance rates as higher than normal, most people assume that means it is genetic.....(siblings usually follow the same development because they have the same environment)...your husband's condition is mild so conditioning the problem into the child will NOT be a problem either...pray about it though...He knows a lot more than I do....( i'm only a sports psychologist so sorry I couldnt give better info :) )

It's rather high...but since you have no mental illnesses I'm sure they will be fine!!
Don't let that scare you from having children!!!

I don't know the specific risk...but I know that if my parents had taken mental illness into account in the genetics I wouldn't be here. My paternal grandmother has paranoid schizophrenia, my paternal aunt is an alcoholic with anxiety disorder, all but 2 of my maternal cousins have anxiety or depressive disorders, and Alzheimer's runs in our family. My fiance wouldn't have been born either...his father's family carries the early onset Alzheimer's genes...his grandmother was a vegetable by 50 and his father died recently at 40. I do have bipolar disorder (and probably have my entire life) but I've had a good life so far and I'm glad I was given a chance. I also had my own daughter even though the odds of some mental quirk are high because mental illness (as you've seen) isn't a death sentence. Of course it's up to you in the end but I would encourage that you don't make the decision not to have children entirely on your husbands mental history. Additionally schizophrenia is not a learned disorder. There are many studies that have proved the schizophrenic brain has degraded by something. Scientists aren't sure at this point what but the schizophrenic brain has been changed by something according to studies done in sets of twins, one with one without or both with or both without. My father and my aunt don't have schizophrenia even though their mother does. It's not a 100% chance that your children will inherit the disorder. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Is this the same guy who gave you chlamydia? I would ask him about his cheating.