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Early childhood infections and risk of schizophrenia

Wenbin Liang1, Tanya Chikritzhs

  • 1National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia. w.liang@curtin.edu.au

Psychiatry Research
|July 4, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood infections, particularly those requiring hospitalization, significantly increase the risk of developing schizophrenia in males. This study highlights a potential link between early infections and later-life mental health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The relationship between early life infections and schizophrenia risk remains incompletely understood.
  • Investigating environmental factors in schizophrenia etiology is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between hospitalized infections in early childhood (0-3 years) and the subsequent risk of schizophrenia in a male cohort.
  • To differentiate the impact of specific infection types, such as intestinal and respiratory infections.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a population-based cohort of males born in Western Australia (1980-1984).
  • Linked birth registry records with health data via the Western Australian Data Linkage System for follow-up until 2009.
  • Employed stratified analysis and multivariate logistic regression to assess infection-schizophrenia risk associations.

Main Results:

  • Males with two or more hospitalizations for infections before age three exhibited an 80% increased risk of schizophrenia.
  • This elevated risk persisted when analyses were restricted to intestinal infections (gastroenteritis) and acute respiratory infections.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the hypothesis that early childhood infections may contribute to the development of schizophrenia later in life.
  • Early life infections represent a potential modifiable risk factor for schizophrenia.

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