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Are obstetric complications related to adult schizophrenia? A case-control study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Mario Amore
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, University of Parma, Italy
Francesco Pisani*
Affiliation:
Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, University of Parma, Italy
Chiara Balista
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, University of Parma, Italy
Marco Sarchiapone
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, University of Molise, Italy
Robin McCreadie
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Research, Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries, Scotland, UK
*
Dr Francesco Pisani, Developmental Neuropsychiatric Unit, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. Tel: +39 0521 702750; Fax: +39 0521 290458; E-mail: francesco.pisani@unipr.it

Abstract

Background:

Early environmental events may be relevant to the etiology of schizophrenia. Among such events, interest has focused especially on obstetric complications (OCs).

Objective:

Aims of the study were to compare the incidence of OCs in patients, siblings and normal controls and to examine the relationship between OCs and later schizophrenia.

Method:

One hundred and thirteen patients with schizophrenia were recruited, as were 140 patients’ siblings and 113 controls without schizophrenia. The OCs history of patients, their sibs and controls was obtained through interviews with patients’ and controls’ mothers.

Results:

The results highlighted that more patients than sibs had at least one definite OC and a higher mean number of OCs; more patients had premature rupture of membranes, threatened abortion and a labor of more than 36 h.

Conclusions:

Our data provide some evidence for a link between OCs and later schizophrenia. Furthermore, this study highlights how OCs, which may cause fetal distress through a hypoxic-ischemic mechanism, could increase the risk of schizophrenia interacting with genetic susceptibility.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Blackwell Munksgaard

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