Can flu make baby bipolar?

Prenatal infection and bipolar disorder

When it comes to establishing exactly what causes most psychiatric conditions, we still have a lot to learn. We know most disorders appear to arise from a complicated interplay between nature and nurture.

Often, there is a strong genetic component to a particular disorder, which is why we usually see relatives in one family who seem to be susceptible to an illness. When a parent is depressed or anxious, it is likely you will find other first-degree relatives with similar symptoms or medical histories.

We also know that environment plays a role in many conditions. Exposure to trauma in childhood can pre-dispose people to mental health issues later in life. Many other, subtler environmental stimuli also seem to be involved with triggering the onset of mental health symptoms.

One study examining influenza infection in pregnant women found a relationship between infection and the development of bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms in the women’s offspring.

Pregnancy is a sensitive time and fetuses are vulnerable to many health issues as a result of environmental factors affecting the mother. There has been some evidence to suggest maternal infection during pregnancy is an environmental risk factor for some psychiatric conditions.

For this study, serum samples from pregnant women in California were examined to identify whether there was a connection between documented influenza infection during pregnancy and risk of bipolar disorder in the offspring.

From the women and offspring studied, 85 cases of diagnosed bipolar disorder were identified. Of those, 36 had psychotic features and 49 did not. These were compared against 170 subjects.

Researchers found maternal gestational exposure to influenza does not generally increase the risk of bipolar disorder in offspring. It was, however, associated with a five-fold increased risk of bipolar disorder with psychotic features. This was interesting because there was no significant association between maternal influenza and bipolar disorder with no psychotic features.

Additional analysis also uncovered that risk appears to be highest if influenza is experienced during the first or second trimester of pregnancy – although small sample size means this will need more research to determine accurately.

Although some previous studies have also asserted a link between maternal infection and psychiatric conditions in offspring, this is a unique study because the infection was confirmed through serum samples during each trimester.

Much more research is needed to further determine risk factors and what symptoms or conditions are most affected by maternal infections. It will be very interesting to learn more.

In the meantime, this could be one more good reason to get your annual flu shot, especially if you are a pregnant woman.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.