PARENTS AND COLLATERAL RELATIVES OF CHILDREN WITH PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS - A FAMILY HISTORY STUDY

The objective of this study was to see whether, using the family histo ry method, the risk for pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), cognit ive impairments, and other psychiatric symptoms is greater in the pare nts and collateral relatives of probands with PDD compared to a contro l group, A semistructured family history interview was carried out wit h the parents of 52 probands with PDD and 33 parents of controls. Rate s of cognitive impairments and psychiatric problems were not found mor e frequently in parents or relatives of PDD probands compared to relat ives of controls, but four cases of PDD were reported among the extend ed families of the PDD probands, The relatives with PDD were related t o the probands through the maternal line, possibly suggesting some for m of maternal influence on inheritance or reduced penetrance in female s with the PDD genotype. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.