Placental disorders increase the risk of developing schizophrenia.

American researchers have identified more than 100 genes associated with the risk of schizophrenia. They are responsible for the development of the placenta, which feeds the baby's brain in the first stages of its intrauterine development. For more than a century, scientists have believed that the likelihood of developing schizophrenia depends on a number of genetic and environmental factors that affect only brain development. Recent data has shown that the health of the placenta is also critical. It can also affect the risk of developing diabetes, bipolar disorder, depression, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.