G. MANUALI, L. RAMIERI, I. TADDEI, F. CONFORTI, J. OSBORN, G. BERSANI- Vol. 10, March 2004, Issue 1
Testo Immagini Bibliografia Summary Indice
Il posizionamento ai limiti della distribuzione
normale del peso corporeo alla nascita
quale potenziale fattore di suscettibilità alla schizofrenia
Threshold birthweight as a potential susceptibility factor for schizophrenia
Objectives
Many studies show that a number of schizophrenic patients have an history of obstetric complications. Obstetric complications may be an aetiologically important factor in the development of the illness. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of obstetric complications in the development of schizophrenia in adult life, with particular attention to the potential role of "birthweight".
Methods
To this end, we carried out a case-control study, using 49 schizophrenics and patients with diseases of the schizophrenia spectrum as cases and their 73 male brothers free from any type of psychiatric disorder as controls. The effect of obstetric complications on the risk of developing schizophrenia was studied.
Results
Obstetric complications were assessed for patients and controls by means of a semi-structured interview with the mother, using the "Midwife Protocol" of Parnas et al. We found that specific variables may be a risk factor for developing schizophrenia. Schizophrenia resulted more frequent in subjects whose childbirth weight was >4 kg or <3 kg.
Conclusions
According to our opinion these data seem to point out the potential utility to study obstetric complications and body weight at child birth as risk factors for schizophrenia. Information provided by these variables could be used by clinicians to identify subjects at risk, on which early prevention could prove a useful tool to reduce morbidity for schizophrenia.