Obstetric complications and schizophrenia

Abstract

BackgroundMost previous case–control studies of obstetric complications in schizophrenia have been small scale and many have relied on retrospective information.AimsTo determine which obstetric complications are more common in probands with schizophrenia than matched controls.MethodTwo hundred and ninety-six probands with an in-patient diagnosis of schizophrenia who had been born in Scotland in 1971–74, and a further 156 born in 1975–78, were closely matched with controls and the incidence of obstetric complications in the two compared using obstetric data recorded in a set format shortly after birth.ResultsNot a single complication of pregnancy or delivery was significantly more common in the probands with schizophrenia than the controls in the 1971–74 birth cohort and only emergency Caesarean section and labour lasting over 12 hours were significantly more common in the schizophrenia probands in the 1975–78 cohort.ConclusionThe evidence that schizophrenia is associated with a raised incidence of obstetric complications is weaker than has recently been assumed.