Researchers say distress in pregnancy can 'turn on' schizophrenia genes

New study finds schizophrenia genes in the placenta can be turned on due to distress in pregnancy.

Pregnancy complications like high blood pressure could turn on these genes and signal that the organ is under distress,  the Daily Mail reported. Researchers from the Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Maryland conducted the study.

The teamed examined data on 2,800 adults from four countries across the globe. They found 2,038 of the participants have been diagnosed with the condition.

The placenta helps provide nutrients and oxygen to the baby and removes all the waste products from the growing child's blood.

Schizophrenia is a mental health issue that affects how you think, behave, feel and cause one to have a distorted view of reality.

Researchers show that many of the genes linked to schizophrenia risk also” change the early brain development indirectly when the health of the placenta is compromised,” the report stated.

"For the first time, we have found an explanation for the connection between early life complications, genetic risk, and their impact on mental illness and it all converges on the placenta," Dr Daniel Weinberger, lead study investigator and CEO of the Lieber Institute, told the Daily Mail.

Adding, "The surprising results of this study make the placenta the centerpiece of a new realm of biological investigation related to how genes and the environment interact to alter the trajectory of human brain development."  

The team is hoping to focus their efforts on therapeutic treatments in order to reduce the incidence of this kind of disorder.