Expert: Joyce A. Anthony - 6/14/2011

Question
Has there been any update to your 2007 answer regarding the percentage risk for a child of a bipolar mother to be bipolar him/herself?

Would you know the risk for a child with a bipolar grandmother and a 26 yr old mother who had a major depressive episode (unipolar) at 16? The 26 yr old has not yet shown any signs of bipolar disorder herself.  

Does the % risk for a granddaughter or grandson vary with the type of bipolar disorder experienced by the grandmother?

Are there any genetic screening tests the 26 y.o. mother could undergo which could lower the odds of her having the disorder herself or being a "carrier?"

Thank you!

Answer
Hello Susan:

My answer stands unchanged regarding the risk potential.  Presuming the baby's paternal side had no evidence of bipolar disorder, the above scenario would give the baby a thirty percent chance of being bipolar at some point in life.  The percentage is not connected to the type of bipolar involved.

Unfortunately, there are still no genetic tests that can determine a person's chance of either carrying or having the tendency toward bipolar disorder. Science has made great strides in finding factors that may indicate the tendency, but these have not yet become easily incorporated into testing.

Susan, barring any other circumstances, I would not allow the fact that a child's grandparent is bipolar determine whether or not I had a child.  The child has every chance any other child does of leading a full and happy life.  Statistics are just that--averages.  They do not determine one way or another with complete accuracy in most cases.  If the child would come from long lines of mental health issues on both sides, there would be greater concern.  This does not seem to be the case in the above scenario.

                                      Joyce A. Anthony