Related Experiment Videos
Obstetrical complications and childhood-onset schizophrenia
R Nicolson1, D Malaspina, J N Giedd
1Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Md. 20892-1600, USA. rn54q@nih.gov
Objective:
Increased obstetrical complications have been reported in individuals with adult-onset schizophrenia, with several studies finding an association between such complications and an earlier age at onset. Consequently, obstetrical records were examined for individuals with childhood-onset schizophrenia to determine if birth complications were more prevalent.
Method:
The birth records of 36 patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia and 35 sibling comparison subjects were rated for birth complications by two psychiatrists who were unaware of group membership.
Results:
There were no significant differences between the groups in rates of obstetrical complications. Patients with such complications did not have a relatively earlier age at onset of schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
A very early age at onset of schizophrenia is probably not due to birth complications.