Obstetric and Neonatal Adversities, Parity, and Tourette Syndrome: A Nationwide Registry

To determine the relationships between parity, obstetric adversities, neonatal factors, and Tourette syndrome in a large nationwide cohort.

This nationwide, register-based, nested case-control study identified all children diagnosed with Tourette syndrome born between 1991 and 2010 from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (n = 767). Each case was matched to 4 controls. Information on parity, obstetric, and neonatal factors was obtained from the Finnish Medical Birth Register. Conditional logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between parity, obstetric, and neonatal factors, and Tourette syndrome.

Nulliparity was associated with increased odds for Tourette syndrome (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-2.2), and 3 or more previous births was associated with decreased odds for Tourette syndrome (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9) compared with parity 1-2. Birth weight 4000-4499 g was associated with decreased odds for Tourette syndrome (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9). Low birth weight, gestational age, weight for gestational age, Apgar score at 1 minute, induced labor, birth type or presentation, neonatal treatment, or maternal blood pressure were not associated with Tourette syndrome.

Increasing parity and high birth weight are associated with decreased odds for Tourette syndrome.