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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
Insights
Birth complications were not more prevalent in individuals with childhood-onset schizophrenia. This suggests that birth complications do not cause the earliest onset of schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Genetics
Background:
- Adult-onset schizophrenia is linked to increased obstetrical complications and earlier age at onset.
- Childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) represents a severe form of the disorder, necessitating investigation into potential early risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of birth complications in individuals with COS.
- To determine if birth complications are associated with an earlier age at onset in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Birth records of 36 patients with COS and 35 sibling controls were retrospectively analyzed.
- Two blinded psychiatrists assessed birth complication rates.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in obstetrical complication rates were found between COS patients and sibling controls.
- Birth complications did not correlate with an earlier age at schizophrenia onset in the studied group.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support a link between birth complications and the etiology of very early-onset schizophrenia.
- This study suggests that factors other than birth complications contribute to the earliest onset of schizophrenia.
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.