The potential role of high or low birthweight as risk factor for adult schizophrenia
-
Giuseppe Bersani
Abstract
Objective: Obstetric complications may be an important factor in the development of schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of these complications in the development of schizophrenia in adult life, with particular attention to the potential role of birth weight.
Method: We carried out a case-control study, comprising schizophrenics and patients with diseases of the schizophrenia spectrum as cases, and their healthy male brothers as controls. Obstetric complications were assessed using the “Midwife Protocol” of Parnas et al.
Results: The main result was that birth weight may be a risk factor for schizophrenia, as indicated by odds ratio analysis. The confidence intervals are very wide and, without compromising the clinical significance of the results, they give a limited indication of the real entity of the risk.
Conclusions: The results contribute to understanding of the role played by a single complications.
References
1 Bersani G, I Taddei, G Manuali: Severity of obstetric complications and risk of adult schizophrenia in male patients: a case-control study. J Matern-Fetal Neonat Med14 (2003) 1Search in Google Scholar
2 Cannon TD: Abnormalities of brain structure and function in schizophrenia: implications for aetiology and pathophysiology. Ann Med28 (1996) 53310.3109/07853899608999117Search in Google Scholar PubMed
3 Gunnell D, F Rasmussen, D Fouskakis, P Tynelius, G Harrison: Patterns of fetal and childhood growth and the development of psychosis in young males: a cohort study. Am J Epidemiol158 (2003) 291Search in Google Scholar
4 Kendell RE, K McInney, E Juszczak, M Bain: Obstetric complications and schizophrenia: two case-control studies based on structured obstetric records. Br J Psychiat176(2000) 51610.1192/bjp.176.6.516Search in Google Scholar PubMed
5 Kunugi H, S Nanko, RM Murray: Obstetric complications and schizophrenia: prenatal underdevelopment and subsequent neurodevelopmental impairment. Br J Psychiat178(2001) s2510.1192/bjp.178.40.s25Search in Google Scholar PubMed
6 McNeil TF, L Kaij: Obstetric factors in the development of schizophrenia: complications in the births of preschizophrenic and in reproduction by schizophrenic parents. In: Wynne LC, RL Cromwell, S Matthysse (ed). The Nature of Schizophrenia. New Approaches to Research and Treatment. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1978Search in Google Scholar
7 Parnas J, F Schulsinger, TM Teasdale, H Schulsinger, PM Feldman, SA Mednick: Perinatal complications and clinical outcome within the schizophrenia spectrum. Br J Psychiat140 (1982) 416Search in Google Scholar
8 Zornberg GL, SL Buka, MT Tsuang: Hypoxic-Ischemia-Related fetal/neonatal complications and risk of schizophrenia and other non-affective psychoses: a 19-year longitudinal study. Am J Psychiat157 (2000) 196Search in Google Scholar
©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- To all readers, authors and subscribers
- The relationship between periodontal disease, bacterial vaginosis, and preterm birth
- Does raising the glucose challenge test threshold impact birthweight in Asian gravidas?
- Puerperal complications following elective cesarean sections for twin pregnancies
- Fortified mineral water improves folate status and decreases plasma homocysteine concentration in pregnant women
- Milk iron content in breast-feeding mothers after administration of intravenous iron sucrose complex
- Uteroplacental circulation, preeclampsia, and maternal abdominal aortic stiffness in normal and compromised pregnancies
- Induction of labor with oral misoprostol for premature rupture of membranes at term in women with unfavorable cervix: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Reference intervals for the cross sectional area of the umbilical cord during gestation
- The combined effect of betamethasone and ritodrine on the middle cerebral artery in low risk third trimester pregnancies
- Association between peak serum bilirubin and severity of respiratory distress syndrome in infants of less than 30 weeks' gestation
- Ranitidine and late-onset sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit
- Outcome of infants born at 21–28 weeks' gestation in an inner-city hospital over an eight-year period
- Detection rate of Helicobacter pylori stool antigen in newborn infants and small children
- The potential role of high or low birthweight as risk factor for adult schizophrenia
- Multiple vascular accidents: Pentalogy of Cantrell in one twin with left sided colonic atresia in the second twin
- Solitary hepatic lymphangioma in an infant
- Spontaneous twin pregnancy in a 56-year-old primipara
- Fetal behavior analyzed by ultrasonic actocardiogram in cases with central nervous system lesions
- Congress Calendar
Articles in the same Issue
- To all readers, authors and subscribers
- The relationship between periodontal disease, bacterial vaginosis, and preterm birth
- Does raising the glucose challenge test threshold impact birthweight in Asian gravidas?
- Puerperal complications following elective cesarean sections for twin pregnancies
- Fortified mineral water improves folate status and decreases plasma homocysteine concentration in pregnant women
- Milk iron content in breast-feeding mothers after administration of intravenous iron sucrose complex
- Uteroplacental circulation, preeclampsia, and maternal abdominal aortic stiffness in normal and compromised pregnancies
- Induction of labor with oral misoprostol for premature rupture of membranes at term in women with unfavorable cervix: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Reference intervals for the cross sectional area of the umbilical cord during gestation
- The combined effect of betamethasone and ritodrine on the middle cerebral artery in low risk third trimester pregnancies
- Association between peak serum bilirubin and severity of respiratory distress syndrome in infants of less than 30 weeks' gestation
- Ranitidine and late-onset sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit
- Outcome of infants born at 21–28 weeks' gestation in an inner-city hospital over an eight-year period
- Detection rate of Helicobacter pylori stool antigen in newborn infants and small children
- The potential role of high or low birthweight as risk factor for adult schizophrenia
- Multiple vascular accidents: Pentalogy of Cantrell in one twin with left sided colonic atresia in the second twin
- Solitary hepatic lymphangioma in an infant
- Spontaneous twin pregnancy in a 56-year-old primipara
- Fetal behavior analyzed by ultrasonic actocardiogram in cases with central nervous system lesions
- Congress Calendar