Obstetric care and proneness of offspring to suicide as adults: case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate any long term effects of traumatic birth and obstetric procedures in relation to suicide by violent means in offspring as adults.


METHODS
Prospective case-control study.


METHODS
Stockholm, Sweden.


METHODS
242 adults who committed suicide by violent means from 1978 to 1995, and who were born in one of seven hospitals in Stockholm during 1945-80, matched with 403 biological siblings born during the same period and at the same group of hospitals.


METHODS
Adverse and beneficial perinatal factors expressed as relative risks (odds ratios) and 95% confidence intervals, derived from logistic regression of cases matched with their siblings.


RESULTS
For multiple birth trauma the estimated relative risks of offspring subsequently committing suicide by violent means were 4.9 (95% confidence interval 1.8 to 13) for men and 1.04 (0.2 to 4.6) for women. In mothers who received multiple opiate treatment during delivery, the estimated relative risk of offspring subsequently committing suicide was equal for both sexes (0.26, 0.09 to 0.69).


CONCLUSIONS
Minimising pain and discomfort to the infant during birth seems to be of importance in reducing the risk of committing suicide by violent means as an adult.
Jacobson
B
B
Department of Medical Engineering, F60 Novum, Huddinge University Hospital, SE-141 86 Huddinge, Sweden. bertil.jacobson@labtek.ki.se
Bygdeman
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence