Could We Someday Prevent Schizophrenia Like We Prevent Cleft Palate?
Schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses have significant genetic components and thereby pass to new generations. Preventive treatments targeted to brain development before birth might decrease risk in the generation just being born. One new strategy uses a nutrient choline provided in the mother’s diet, similar to the worldwide use of folic acid to prevent spina bifida and cleft palate in newborns.
The doctor told me that folic acid helped with brain development too.
I was very underweight when I got pregnant by accident, then took the vitamins sporadically after I found out I was pregnant. I certainly could have eaten better, and while there was no smoking/drugs/alcohol/coffee, I couldn’t quite give up the soft drinks completely and I craved Pizza Hut and Whoppers. I certainly could have eaten a lot better.
I think back and wonder if things would have been different if I had better nutrition and been less stressed while I was pregnant - and all kinds of other mistakes too.
But, I know people who did way worse and their kids turned out fine.
Yes - ultimately you can never know, so its not worth dwelling on the past.
Nobody can know what combination of nutritional factors, environmental factors, stress, infections (flu during pregnancy, etc.) and genes combine to impact the risk for anyone person.
All anyone can do is try to pass the information on to the next generation so they might be able to lower the risk.
@slw I know where you’re coming from, with my son I craved powder sugared donuts and root beer…yep, that was bad choices on my part, but SzAdmin is right you never really know and the past is in the past…but I have thought the same thoughts as you on that topic.