Can someone help me locate an old thread on mood disorder kids born in winter months?

TerryJ2

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
It was a hypothesis about how so many kids born in Dec, Jan and Feb are bipolar and schizophrenic or schizoaffective.
I am reading a book by a stand-up comic named Paul Jones, who is bipolar, The Up and Down Life) and he mentioned it in his book, and says there is a hypothesis about it being a latent virus.
But I am wondering about schizophrenia in warm climates ... Hawaii, Australia, you get the idea. Do those countries see the same pattern? Would the hypothesis hold up? He calls it a theory but I don't think there's enough evidence yet to make it a theory.
Still, considering that I know several bipolar people who were all born in Dec. and January, and one who is schizophrenic, it does seem to be a weird coincidence.
 
C

confuzzled

Member
i dont know the thread (i thought this was going to be vitD related)....

but in my opinion, it would be hard for that theory to hold any weight....how does a latent virus know its winter (even the common flu has a much longer "season" and there are plenty of flu cases "off season"--just less common) and how does a latent virus come around every.single.year for eternity? and how does a latent virus know when to come out in a person....some BiPolar (BP)/schitz* are diagnosis'd in early childhood, some in old age, and everythign in between?

it just seems like a reach, Know what I mean??
 
TerryJ2

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
I just remember seeing it here at one point, and I did a couple of searches but ran out of words and ideas ... :) I was curious as to whether someone attributed the hypothesis to any one person or organization, and what everyone here said about it.
But at least I got a cpl of opinions on this thread. :)
 
B

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
It is a FACT that kids born in late winter/early spring develop schizophrenia more often than those born at other times. There is a virus theory, but it hasn't been proven yet. All they know is that it's the case.

I had never heard the same about mood disorders. I have one and I was born in September.
 
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confuzzled

Member
rofl. i have no idea HOW that happened...i wasnt remotely looking at tendons.

heres one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22010060

and another: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8885042

HOPEFULLY neither discuss ligaments.

try searching seasonality birth schitzophrenia bipolar on pubmeds for more.

but do remember these studies are small, conflicting and really take little else into consideration. there are a few trying to link influenza in birthmother which are interesting, a couple about VitD (in mother) and others that point to poor, urban families.

so that above ought to tell you that statistically, studies are skewed in the direction they are looking ;-) its not that they are flawed, but because they are trying to prove/disprove hypothesis the control groups dont seem to be quite as random as they should (yea, i'm a skeptic when it comes to the medical community)

but its interesting.
 
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