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Small head circumference at birth in schizophrenia
H Kunugi1, N Takei, R M Murray
1Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Insights
Individuals who later develop schizophrenia show smaller birth head circumference, suggesting slower fetal brain growth. Birth weight differences were not significant after controlling for gestational age and gender.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Psychiatric research
- Schizophrenia etiology
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests schizophrenia has a neurodevelopmental basis.
- Previous studies indicated reduced birth weight (BW) and smaller birth head circumference (BHC) in individuals with schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prenatal growth differences between individuals who develop schizophrenia and the general population.
- To compare birth weight and birth head circumference in relation to gestational age.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study comparing 67 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (DSM-III-R) against 1640 individuals from the general population.
- Utilized contemporaneous birth records for data collection.
- Controlled for gestational age and gender in statistical analyses.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in birth weight (BW) was observed between the schizophrenia group and the comparison group after controlling for gestational age and gender.
- Individuals who later developed schizophrenia exhibited significantly smaller birth head circumference (BHC) for their gestational age.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest slower fetal brain growth, indicated by smaller BHC, in individuals who later develop schizophrenia.
- Birth weight may not be as sensitive an indicator as BHC for prenatal growth disturbances related to schizophrenia.
Abstract:
The growing evidence for neurodevelopmental basis to schizophrenia has focused attention on the prenatal development of individuals who later develop the illness. Several previous studies have shown reduced birth weight (BW) in schizophrenics and one recently reported smaller birth head circumference (BHC). The current study compared 67 DSM-III-R schizophrenics and a general population group of 1640, using information obtained from contemporaneous birth records. When gestational age and gender were controlled for, no significant difference was found in BW between the schizophrenics and the comparison population. However, the preschizophrenics showed significantly smaller BHC for gestational age, suggestive of slower fetal brain growth.