Swedish study on preemies and mental illness

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Interesting. Sort of backs up some conclusions I've made myself over the years based on children I've known and their medical backgrounds, plus info I've gotten from other parents with kids with oxygen deprivation at birth.

I'm a preemie. Although any issues I have would be hard to sort out from abuse/neglect as a child.

Both Travis and Nichole had oxygen deprivation at birth. Travis actually coded and it took them more than 10 mins to revive him. (long drawn out story there) This is the cause of his dxes, and the severity of the autism. It is the cause of Nichole's dyslexia.

We had a post a long time ago to see how many of the kids here had had a brain injury. (anything from O2 deprivation to severe injury) The results were pretty surprising I thought. Of course not all the difficult child's here had.......but I was surprised to see how many did.

Oh......and I see it with both my grandsons too. Alex is so much like Travis it is spooky, even though he's more severe. And Evan.......wow. Both head injuries due to being dropped.

Interesting. I wonder if anyone else will go on with this research.
 
My oldest was 2 weeks overdue, I had to be induced 3 times to go into labor. Long story short, the cord was wrapped around his neck when he came out... doctor told me to stop pushing. Here's the thing... I was pushing for 2 hours! I have no way of knowing exactly how oxygen deprived he was, but I do know his first couple apgars were low. It was a difficult labor and delivery, he was 9 pounds 2 ounces... and in my opinion 2 weeks was too long. The hospital I had him at, was not equipped to deal with- complications... they would not due epideral because the nurse looked at me expressionless, and said, "We don't do epiderals here." A small hospital... doubt they had an anestheisialogist. Now I'm just getting mad thinking about it, and rambling. I am mad at myself for letting my mom talk me into this hospital cuz it was closer. This place was shut down in the mid- late 90's. I feel if I went to a better hospital, had a better doctor, this may have all been handled better, and they probably would have done a C- section. I guess this brought up some memories for me. My 3- year old was a planned c- section... no birth complications... perfect apgar test score. still ramblin... sorry. Basically I do feel the oxygen deprivation my 14- year old had at birth, is a big reason he has been diagnosed with- severe autism and mental retardation.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
30 and searching

(((hugs)))

Don't beat yourself up with guilt. It's not your fault. Don't take the blame.

Travis was 3 weeks overdue. (doctor refused to believe previous docs due date although it was confirmed) Whole pregnancy was a nitemare.......but the birth was even worse. doctor informs me I'm going to have a emergency C section because Travis' heartrate kept dropping below 20. Then goes home to have lunch! Wound up with no time for C section. Nurses pushed him out with me only dialated to 5 because his heart had stopped...... And it gets worse.

I did the guilt for a long time. I think all mother's do. It's that protective instinct. But we're not to blame. We did nothing wrong.

PM me if you'd like.

Gentle hugs.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
Very interesting article.

30 and searching, Miss KT was 11 days overdue, docs tried to induce labor, her heart rate went down, emergency C-section...she was 9 lbs 11 1/2 oz. For quite a while, I beat myself up about pretty much everything connected with the pregnancy/birth, single parenthood, you name it, she was awful and it was my fault. But it wasn't and it isn't. It isn't your fault either. Many hugs.
 

Ropefree

Banned
The good news is the interest in looking at the statistics that are based on facts.
Finally. The end of the era of every jq with an md spouting of % based on nothing.
I do not know ...is a good answer and it ought to be followed by...I will look into it and get back to you on that.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Interesting! My difficult child was a preemie, he was born 3 pounds at 26 or 27 weeks. He never had to be on a ventilator because the crack actually acted like a steroid and sped up the development of his lungs. For us I think more of difficult child's issues came due to the drugs and probable drinking but the preemie part could also play a role.

30 and searching, I'm with the others, do not assume any guilt in this-it isn't your fault. Hugs.
 

Nancy423

do I have to be the mom?
my story is a little different - delivered at what I was told was 40 weeks, I had no amniotic fluid. NONE. So my question is, what was she surviving on and for how long? She also had heart rate drop and an emerg. c-sect.

30andsearching - I've always felt guilty that I coulda woulda shoulda but you know what? it's hindsight. I could go on and on about my docs! It's not your fault!!
 
W

Wonderful Family

Guest
Interesting article. This has long been a theory of mine . . . there has to be a reason for the increase in the number of kids with BiPolar (BP) and other disorders in the last 15 years, and I think this is a lot of it.

My difficult child is adopted, we "think" there is enough family history to set some precedent, but he too was born premature by 8 weeks, vented, and went home "perfectly" healthy other than some very minor respiratory problems; no issues at all until difficult child was 1.5 years.
 
N

Nomad

Guest
My difficult child is also adopted (BiPolar (BP))
We were told that she was not a preemie and the delivery was normal.
According to what we were told...she went home "perfectly healthy."

Perhaps this preemie thing presents a small biological influence of some sort.

With reference to my difficult child...bio mother and bio father may also have been difficult children. There are indications of precedent here.

We have friends that are high achievers. However, they each had a parent that was a big time difficult child. Both of their children are difficult children. One is severe...the other a little less so. So, with difficult child-ness...perhaps it can be from one generation to the next, skip generations or across generations.

I was thinking of something...I have had a bad problem with headaches throughout the years. Neither of my parents had headaches. When I went to the neurologist for medication to treat them...he asked "who in your family has a difficult problem with headaches? " My aunt suffered from headaches her entire life. One of her children, also has headaches (although not as bad as his mom or myself). However, no one else in the family has headaches (extended or otherwise). It's really just me and my aunt. The neuro said that although sometimes more frequent than other times...he always asks and always discovers another relative with a bad headache problem. It doesn't have to be between first and second generations.

With alcoholism...well that seems to be different. There seems to be a strong family link. Often between first and second generations. It just seems to be strongly passed on from one generation to another. (However, I think education and preventative measures can break this bondage).

It is my personal opinion, that when it comes to nature vs. nurutre, it is nature that has the biggest influence with reference many illnesses...including those influencing our difficult children.
 
Last edited:

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Nancy423, I had the same problem with difficult child 1's delivery -- no fluid apparently left in me, and he aspirated so much meconium and had such poor APGARs that he had to go on a lung-bypass (ECMO) machine for several days and spend three weeks in the NICU to give his lungs a chance to be cleaned out so he wouldn't damage them. He was supposedly full-term...

difficult child 2 was 10 days late and had the cord around his neck and came out a little blue in the face...

easy child was 14 days late to the day, had a tiny bit of meconium staining only, and needed a wee bit of O2 in the delivery room, but that was it.

I honestly don't think the oxygen deprivation is the only story with mental illness. With regard to BiPolar (BP), the way our psychiatrist has explained in lectures he's given on the topic, there is a situation called "genetic anticipation", where it's believed that in disorders like BiPolar (BP), the gene is turned on or expressed sooner in subsequent generations. There could also just be the fact of MORE environmental triggers present in our world than what existed 50 years ago. I'm sure that whatever the explanation, there are many, many facets to it.

Until they find a way to prevent it from coming out, I'd settle for better medications with less toxic side effects, along with better testing and detection at an earlier age so that treatment can begin sooner. I think there have been plenty of studies that have shown the younger you get someone stabilized on medications, the greater their chance of staying medication compliant as an adult. We all know that BiPolar (BP) has the highest successful suicide rate of all mental health disorders. That's the one outcome we certainly want to avoid!
 
N

Nomad

Guest
The genetic anticipation theory is interesting to me.
I do think there could be more "environmental" trigger posibilities.
For example, environmental toxins.
Another example, is that our society just seems more difficult/tense/toxic for lack of better words.
There certainly is a certain lack of compassion and in addition, a break down in the extended family.

Sometimes I think this is why there seems to be more bipolar illness with adopted children. Just being "adopted" can be an "environmental trigger." Adoption can almost be viewed as a special need. The child feels burdened by this knowledge. Perhaps few truly understand this special burden. They go through life carrying this load. And then they might have additional grief from peers.

If there is a genetic predisposition...well...it spells trouble from the onset.
 
Top