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Published on: March 25, 2016
Association of prenatal and perinatal complications with subsequent bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
1Department of Maternal and Child Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sbuka@hsph.harvard.edu
Insights
Prenatal and perinatal complications (PPCs) are linked to an increased risk of developing bipolar disorder. Further research is needed to explore genetic and gender factors in this association.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Prenatal and perinatal complications (PPCs) are known risk factors for schizophrenia.
- The association between PPCs and bipolar disorder requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review literature on the association between PPCs and bipolar disorder.
- To analyze the strength of evidence for PPCs as a risk factor for bipolar disorder.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of studies published after 1965.
- Analysis of odds ratios and prevalence of PPCs in bipolar disorder samples.
Main Results:
- Three of four comparative studies showed a positive association between PPCs and bipolar disorder (odds ratios 1.0–12.0).
- Prevalence of PPCs in bipolar samples without controls varied widely (3.8%–50.0%).
Conclusions:
- PPCs may be associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder.
- Further research into genetic interactions, gender differences, and effect specificity is warranted for non-schizophrenia mental disorders.
Abstract:
This paper presents an overview of the recent literature on the association between prenatal and perinatal complications (PPCs) and schizophrenia, then systematically reviews papers published later than 1965 examining the association of PPCs and bipolar disorder. Three of the four studies comparing bipolar cases with normal controls indicated a positive association of PPCs with the development of bipolar disorder in adult life; the four odds ratios ranged from 1.0 to 12.0. The proportion of PPCs among the bipolar samples without comparison subjects ranged from 3.8% to 50.0%. Issues of study design, measurement and severity of exposure, and outcome are addressed. This review suggests that further investigation of genetic interactions, gender differences, and the specificity of effects in the association between PPCs and mental disorders other than schizophrenia is warranted.
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