Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
05:51

A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia

Published on: June 15, 2011

Fetal growth and schizophrenia: a nested case-control and case-sibling study

Philip Rising Nielsen1, Preben Bo Mortensen, Christina Dalman

  • 1To whom correspondence should be addressed; National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Taasingegade 1, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; tel: +45-8716-5753, fax: +45-8716-4601,

Schizophrenia Bulletin
|December 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children born small for gestational age (SGA) have a modestly increased risk of developing schizophrenia. This association appears linked to factors related to low birth weight itself, not shared family influences.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Low birth weight is a suspected risk factor for schizophrenia.
  • Small for gestational age (SGA) serves as a proxy for intrauterine growth restriction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between SGA birth and schizophrenia risk.
  • To determine if shared sibling factors mediate the SGA-schizophrenia link.

Main Methods:

  • Linked Danish population-based registers (Medical Birth, Psychiatric, Civil Registration).
  • Nested case-control and case-sibling study designs.
  • Conditional logistic regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs).

Main Results:

  • SGA was associated with an increased schizophrenia risk (IRR 1.23 in case-control).
  • The case-sibling study showed a similar trend (IRR 1.28).
  • The association appears independent of shared familial factors.

Conclusions:

  • A modest association exists between SGA and schizophrenia.
  • The findings suggest an independent effect of SGA on schizophrenia risk.
  • Shared sibling factors do not explain the observed association.

Keywords:
Denmarkcohort studyepidemiologyregister

More Related Videos

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 105:44

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Published on: May 17, 2024

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia13:08

Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia

Published on: December 2, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Biological Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia01:29

Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders01:27

Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...