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Prenatal Exposure to the 1957 Influenza Epidemic and Adult Schizophrenia: A Follow-Up Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

M. Cannon ,
D. Cotter ,
V. P. Coffey ,
P. C. Sham ,
N. Takei ,
C. Larkin ,
R. M. Murray  and
E. O'callaghan
M. Cannon
Affiliation:
St. John of God Psychiatric Services, Co. Dublin
D. Cotter
Affiliation:
St. John of God Psychiatric Services, Co. Dublin
V. P. Coffey
Affiliation:
Foundation for the Prevention of Childhood Handicaps, St. James Hospital, Dublin
P. C. Sham
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
N. Takei
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Co. Dublin
C. Larkin
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Co. Dublin
R. M. Murray
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College Hospital and Institute of Psychiatry, London
E. O'callaghan*
Affiliation:
St. John of God Psychiatric Services, Co. Dublin
*
Dr E. O'Callaghan, Consultant Psychiatrist, St. John of God Community Psychiatric Services, Cluain Mhuire Family Centre, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland
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Abstract

Background

We investigated the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to the 1957 A2 influenza increases the risk of schizophrenia in adulthood.

Method

We traced a cohort of individuals known to have been exposed to the 1957 influenza epidemic during gestation and an unexposed cohort matched for period of gestation and hospital of birth. Follow-up information on psychiatric illness in subjects was sought from two sources: maternal interview and psychiatric hospital admission data.

Results

Follow-up information was obtained on 54% of the sample: 238 subjects from the influenza-exposed group and 287 subjects from the unexposed group. There was no increased risk of schizophrenia among the exposed cohort compared to the unexposed cohort (relative risk 1.1; 95% CI 0.41–2.95), although there was an increase in depressive illness (relative risk 1.59; 95% CI 1.15–2.19).

Conclusions

The association between prenatal influenza and an increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood has thus far been found only in population-based data and is not supported by the present observational study which has information about exposure and outcome in individuals.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 3 , March 1996 , pp. 368 - 371
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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