---
title: "Psych News Alert: Mom's Flu May Influence Chance of Bipolar Disorder"
description: Much previous epidemiological research has indicated an association between a pregnant woman’s exposure to influenza and eventual developmen...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/FluSneeze_136157942-Jun-24-2025-03-39-15-0836-PM.jpg
---

 6/24/24 11:16 AM

# Mom's Flu May Influence Chance of Bipolar Disorder

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/FluSneeze_136157942-Jun-24-2025-03-39-13-4072-PM.jpg?width=132&height=200&name=FluSneeze_136157942-Jun-24-2025-03-39-13-4072-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/FluSneeze_136157942-Jun-24-2025-03-39-16-0055-PM.jpg) 

Much previous epidemiological research has indicated an association between a pregnant woman’s exposure to influenza and eventual development of schizophrenia.

Now a study suggests that having the flu during pregnancy may also influence the likelihood of bipolar disorder among adult offspring.

Researchers drew on blood samples drawn from pregnant women in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Plan from 1959 through 1966

“We found a significant, nearly 4-fold increase in the risk of bipolar disorder after exposure to maternal influenza at any time during pregnancy,” wrote Alan Brown, M.D., M.P.H., of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, and colleagues, online May 8 in the journal *JAMA Psychiatry*.

The study controlled for the mother’s psychiatric disorders but previous work has shown an increased susceptibility to influenza among mothers with such disorders, said Brown.

“[T]his association may also provide a basis for further exploration of interactions between influenza and genetic susceptibility in bipolar disorder and other psychiatric disorders,” he said.

The study’s findings must be confirmed in other groups before any treatment recommendations (like preventive measures for pregnant women) can be suggested, said Brown, et al.

For more in *Psychiatric News* about maternal infection and mental illness, click [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=116656).

(Image: Ruigsantos/Shutterstock.com)

 

 

  

[psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [pregnancy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pregnancy), [bipolar disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bipolar-disorder), [influenza](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/influenza)

## Related posts

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pregnancy_alcohol_iStock-967022876-Jun-24-2025-10-43-58-9119-PM.jpg?height=200&name=pregnancy_alcohol_iStock-967022876-Jun-24-2025-10-43-58-9119-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/11/pregnancy-linked-to-lower-risk-of.html)

[ajp in advance](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ajp-in-advance), [pregnancy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pregnancy), [alcohol use disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol-use-disorder), [postpartum period](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/postpartum-period), [Alexis C. Edwards](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alexis-c-edwards), [Sweden](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/sweden)

## [Pregnancy Linked to Lower Risk of Alcohol Use Disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/11/pregnancy-linked-to-lower-risk-of.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 11/30/18 12:00 AM

A woman’s pregnancy may lower her risk of alcohol use disorder during pregnancy and for at least...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/11/pregnancy-linked-to-lower-risk-of.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pregnant_woman_hospital_iStock-951855948-Jun-24-2025-05-21-56-7393-PM.jpg?height=200&name=pregnant_woman_hospital_iStock-951855948-Jun-24-2025-05-21-56-7393-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/05/exposure-to-steroids-in-womb-linked-to.html)

[JAMA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jama), [development](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/development), [risks](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/risks), [Sara DeMauro](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/sara-demauro), [mental disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-disorder), [premature](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/premature), [behavioral disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/behavioral-disorder), [Katri Räikkönen](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/katri-r%C3%A4ikk%C3%B6nen), [blood-brain barrier](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/blood-brain-barrier), [corticosteroids](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/corticosteroids), [vulnerable infants](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/vulnerable-infants)

## [Exposure to Steroids in the Womb Linked to Long-Term Risk of Mental, Behavioral Disorders](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/05/exposure-to-steroids-in-womb-linked-to.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 5/19/20 12:00 AM

Corticosteroids, when taken by a pregnant woman at high risk of delivering a premature infant, can...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2020/05/exposure-to-steroids-in-womb-linked-to.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/pregnancy_doctor_iStock-1737003381-Jun-24-2025-06-17-43-2590-PM.jpg?height=200&name=pregnancy_doctor_iStock-1737003381-Jun-24-2025-06-17-43-2590-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/01/benzodiazepine-use-during-pregnancy-may.html)

[pregnancy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pregnancy), [benzodiazepines](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/benzodiazepines), [miscarriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/miscarriage)

## [Benzodiazepine Use During Pregnancy May Be Associated With Miscarriage](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/01/benzodiazepine-use-during-pregnancy-may.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 1/2/24 12:00 AM

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2024/01/benzodiazepine-use-during-pregnancy-may.html)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert",
    "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T15:43:52.513Z",
  "datePublished" : "2024-06-24T15:16:15.000Z",
  "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Mom's Flu May Influence Chance of Bipolar Disorder",
  "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/FluSneeze_136157942-Jun-24-2025-03-39-15-0836-PM.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/05/mom-flu-may-influence-chance-of-bipolar.html",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg"
    }
  }
}
```