What are the chances my child gets bipolar disorder?

One Response to “What are the chances my child gets bipolar disorder?”

1. David says:

   January 13, 2010 at 7:09 pm

   More than two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least one close relative with the illness or with unipolar major depression, indicating that the disease has an inheritable component (National Institute of Mental Health). NIMH also states that bipolar disorder is more likely to affect the children of parents who have the disorder. When one parent has bipolar disorder, the risk to each child is l5 to 30%. Now, this doesn’t mean that, should you and your girlfriend have a child, the child will definitely "catch" your bipolar disorder – just that they are at risk for it.

   Early-onset bipolar disorder (also known as pediatric bipolar disorder) is being diagnosed earlier in children than it used to be, so even if your child does have the disorder, you will be able to get them diagnosed and treated at an early age. According to the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), between 1 and 1.6 percent of adults and adolescents in the U.S. have bipolar disorder and more than 750,000 children under 18 have the illness. Most children are not diagnosed correctly at an early enough age, or are misdiagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which can mimic the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. You will be at an advantage, however, knowing the symptoms yourself.