Schizophrenia risk for adopted child with family history?

Question

Hello doctor,

We are adopting a child through the foster care system and his mother and grandmother were both diagnosed with schizophrenia. We wanted to talk to someone about the risk factors, what it looks like if he does develop it? If there are things we can do to help prevent it?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

If one parent has schizophrenia, there is about a 10 or 12 percent chance for the child to develop the same. (90 percent chance of normal child).

If at all the child develops, then some early prodromal symptoms will be apparent in late teens to '20s (15 to 25 years) such as social withdrawal, irritability, decline in academic performance, anxiety or depressive symptoms. These are seen before the proper symptoms of schizophrenia.

Also, the use of substances like Cannabis or alcohol will increase the chances of this.

If alarming symptoms are noticed early on, then usual treatment is to give antipsychotics for one year or two and then stop. I have seen many patients who have been detected early and then been off medicines for quite some time now. In another one or two decades, there should be greater improvement with the medicines available.

So do not worry too much about it and just parent the child regularly and keep a watch on the things I have mentioned above.