New study suggests mothers could be responsible for their children's OCD

By Sean Dowling, Buzz60

A new study suggests mothers could be responsible for their children developing obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD.

OCD is the condition where excessive thoughts lead to repetitive behaviors such as repeatedly showering or washing your hands.

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Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institutet think the condition could be determined from when babies are in the womb.

They found children delivered by C-section or those whose mothers smoked during pregnancy were associated with a higher risk for developing OCD.

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Other factors included children who were born early or had low birth weight.

Researchers examined data on 2.4 million kids born in Sweden. 17,305 were diagnosed with OCD at an average age of 23.

It's important to note the cause linking OCD to perinatal factors remains to be identified. Still, the study's authors say the findings are an important step to understanding the disorder.

The study was published online by JAMA Psychiatry.

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