Fetal x-rays may cause schizophrenia in the young

X-rays could be one cause of schizophrenia, especially if you were exposed to the radiation when you were in the womb. Fetal x-rays interfere with brain development, and they could be responsible for other problems such as learning difficulties and memory loss. Researchers who made the discovery in a series of laboratory tests on monkeys believe that the greatest damage is done if the fetus is x-rayed in the earliest stages of its development inside the womb. Monkeys that had been x-rayed in the womb started showing brain development problems by the time they were five, although earlier tests when they were two years old had not detected any issues. In the tests, the monkeys had learning and memory problems, which are both important signals of schizophrenia. Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine, who carried out the study, say that the earliest stages in the womb are critical, and any interference could have a detrimental effect on mental – and general – health. (Source: Biological Psychiatry, 2010; 68: 108).