Literature review on Perinatal Asphyxia as a risk factor for schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction: Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is one of the most prevalent injuries that occur around birth, especially in less socioeconomically developed countries. The developing brain is known to be particularly vulnerable to maternal stress and environmental insults before, during and after birth. In this sense, PA is considered a risk factor for numerous neurodevelopmental disorders. Objective: The objective of the present investigation was to analyze PA as a risk factor for schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: A search for scientific articles was carried out in the PubMed and Scielo databases, following the use of prespecified criteria, such as studies carried out on human subjects and animals, in English or Spanish, with availability of access to the text. complete and that they had been published no older than 10 years. Results: AP is associated with increased mortality rates due to the redistribution of cardiac output to the brain, heart and adrenal glands. Genes linked to a greater risk of schizophrenia have been identified, which modify their expression in a scenario of hypoxia induced by cesarean section in the brains of rodents. Likewise, hypoxia reduces brain weight and various processes such as myelination and neurogenesis Conclusions: Obstetric complications related to hypoxia increase the risk of developing schizophrenia five times in adult life