What Are The Chances That
My Child Will Inherit OCD?
There
is little doubt that OCD often runs in families. However, it appears that genes
are only partially responsible for causing the disorder. If the development
of OCD were completely determined by genetics, pairs of identical twins would always
both have the disorder, or both not have it.
For
example, eye color is entirely determined by genes and identical twins always have
the same color eyes. However, in the case of OCD, if one identical twin has
the disorder, there is a 13 percent chance that the other twin will not be affected.
This supports the idea that genes are only part of the cause of OCD, and
that some other factor is also important. At this point, no one really knows what
that other factor might be, although some have suggested that it may be a viral
infection that occurs at a critical point in a child's development, or perhaps
an exposure to an environmental toxin.
Some experts
have speculated that there may be different types of OCD, and that some types
are inherited while other types are not. Although the findings are preliminary,
there is evidence that OCD which begins in childhood may be different than OCD
that begins in adulthood. Individuals with childhood-onset OCD appear much more
likely to have blood relatives that are affected with the disorder than are
those whose OCD first appears when they are adults.
If
a parent is affected with OCD we can roughly estimate how likely it will be that
their child will also have the disorder. If one parent has OCD, the likelihood
the child will be affected is about 2 to 8 percent. It is important to remember
that this statistic is an approximation, and several other factors should be
considered when attempting to estimate the risk of a child developing OCD. One
factor is whether or not the parents themselves have a family history of OCD.
For example, if a parent who has OCD also has blood relatives with the disorder,
the risk for the child increases somewhat. Conversely, if a parent has OCD but
none of his or her blood relatives are affected, then the risk decreases. Another
factor is whether the parent has OCD that began when they were an adult or
began when they were a child. If the parent's OCD did not start until adulthood,
there is probably a decreased likelihood that his or her offspring will be affected.
Conversely, if the parent's OCD is the "variety" that starts in childhood,
the chances of passing the disorder on are increased.
Another
factor to consider is the family history of tic disorders (such as
Tourette's syndrome) or other anxiety disorders. If a child has parents or other
blood relatives with tic disorders or anxiety disorders, then the child is probably
at some increased risk for OCD. Conversely, having blood relatives with
OCD means that not only does the child have increased risk for OCD, but may also
have an increased risk for developing a different anxiety disorder or a tic disorder.
In summary, having blood relatives with OCD, anxiety disorders, and tic
disorders all increase a child's risk of developing any of these same disorders.
As the above information indicates, it is difficult
to precisely estimate the chances that a parent will pass OCD on genetically to
his or her child. This is an area of active research, and new developments appear
frequently.
Because of this, prospective parents may
wish to consult with a genetics counselor prior to attempting to conceive a
child. This can help assure that they have the most up-to-date information available.
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