Seasonality of schizophrenia and stillbirths.
A study of the birth pattern of 30,467 patients with schizophrenia and 428,406 stillbirths in New York State showed a significant winter-month excess in both schizophrenia births (p = 0.0000) and stillbirths (p = 0.0000). Excess births of individuals with schizophrenia in November and December provided additional evidence to refute the age-incidence explanation for the observed seasonality. Time series spectral analysis showed coherence in the pattern of schizophrenia births and stillbirths of 0.898 (p < 0.003) with schizophrenia births preceding stillbirths by 13 days. These results suggest that a common etiological seasonal factor affects a subgroup of births of individuals who later develop schizophrenia and a subgroup of stillbirths. Nutritional factors, temperature, and infectious agents known to cause both central nervous system disease and stillbirths are possible candidates.
Torrey
E F
EF
Twin Study Unit, NIMH Neurosciences Ctr., St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC 20032.
Bowler
A E
AE
Rawlings
R
R
Terrazas
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001723:Birth Rate; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012621:Seasons