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| |    The Genetic Causes of Stuttering by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. The tendency to stutter runs in families, and there is growing evidence that genetics plays an important role. Identical twins, who share all the same genes, are more likely to both stutter (or not) than are fraternal twins, who only share half their genes on average. Stuttering is three to four times more common in boys than girls, as is almost every other speech and language problem. Modern brain scans show clear-cut differences between male and female brains in how they process language, and male brains seem to be more susceptible to developmental malfunctioning. Interestingly, however, mothers who stutter are more likely to pass on the problem to their children than are fathers. This makes sense if you consider that females are less prone to stuttering than males, and so they need a heavier dose of the genes that predispose them to stutter in order to manifest the problem. Having more of the genes makes it that much more likely that a mother will pass on those genes. To the best of my knowledge, no one knows which genes lead to stuttering, or how they influence it. It's likely that several different problems can lead to stuttering, because many different parts of the brain and body need to work together efficiently to produce smooth and clear speech. For example, breathing, vocal-cord movement, and mouth movements are all involved. A problem with any one of these systems, or with their overall coordination, can result in jumpy, stop-and-start speech. Genes are not enough Although genes almost certainly play a role, they are probably not the only cause of stuttering--there are sets of identical twins in which one stutters and the other does not. A child may inherit a tendency to stutter, but it might only become a problem if other factors come into play. Stress may play a role. A single very stressful experience--for example, being in a car crash--might trigger stuttering, but this only happens very rarely. More often, a moderately stressful event that stretches over time--such as when a parent is hospitalized or when a sibling is born--seems to prompt the start of stuttering in some children. For children who already stutter, being under pressure often makes it worse--for instance, when they have to talk in front of a class. But that does not mean that these stresses cause stuttering, since many other children have similar experiences and never stutter at all.
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