Prenatal ambient temperature and risk for schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• Maternal exposure to extreme ambient temperatures during pregnancy is a potential risk factor for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring.
• Psychiatric disorders and congenital malformations in children can indicate disruptions in fetal neurodevelopment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature and test the hypothesis linking maternal exposure to extreme ambient temperatures during pregnancy with offspring psychiatric disorders or congenital malformations.
• To identify potential associations between prenatal temperature exposure and fetal neurodevelopmental perturbations.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of published literature was conducted following the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines.
• Electronic databases were searched, and four independent reviewers selected studies based on criteria including prenatal maternal ambient temperature exposure and offspring psychiatric disorder or congenital defects.
• Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on conditions such as schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, and congenital cardiovascular malformations.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests a link between early pregnancy maternal exposure to extreme heat and an increased risk for certain psychiatric disorders.
• Some studies indicated a potential association between late pregnancy exposure to cold temperatures and adverse outcomes.
• Congenital cardiovascular malformations were among the most frequently studied outcomes, showing some evidence of association with maternal heat exposure.

Conclusions:

• The findings support a potential role for early pregnancy maternal exposure to extreme heat in the development of psychiatric disorders.
• Large-scale, prospective cohort studies are essential to confirm these associations.
• Future research should focus on detailed environmental and individual data in seasonally variable climates to better understand temperature effects on fetal development.