Q. My husband’s sister has schizophrenia and I’m afraid that if we have children they could be affected too. How high is the risk of this happening?

In general, large and carefully conducted studies tell us that the absolute risk is not high. The vast majority of people who have a relative with schizophrenia do not get the disease. In many circumstances, the increase in risk is from around one percent to a few percent. A more complete answer for you and your husband requires more information and perhaps even the involvement of a medical geneticist or genetic counselor. There are a few rare instances where a more definitive answer might be possible.