[The role of obstetric complications in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia]

Psychiatr Pol. 2000 Sep-Oct;34(5):751-63.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

The article is a review of research data on the occurrence of pregnancy and delivery complications in schizophrenic patients and their possible contribution to developing schizophrenia in adolescence or adulthood. Many studies revealed that subjects who have a positive obstetric complications history are at higher risk of developing schizophrenia. Obstetric complications, especially those resulting in asphyxia, are often mentioned as possible environmental factors that can disturb the brain developmental processes, which can be responsible for developing schizophrenia in the future. Obstetric complications can act as an environmental pathogenic factor in some cases of schizophrenia (for example not genetically conditioned ones). They can also constitute an additional factor that, acting together with other (for example genetic factors, results in schizophrenia phenotype). There are still inconsistent data and many methodological problems concerning obstetric complications studies. The problem requires further investigation with improved and unified methodological procedures applied.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Asphyxia / complications*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
  • Risk Factors
  • Schizophrenia / etiology*
  • Virus Diseases / complications