title: The potential role of high or low birthweight as risk factor for adult schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obstetric complications may be an important factor in the development of schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of these complications in the development of schizophrenia in adult life, with particular attention to the potential role of birth weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a case-control study, comprising schizophrenics and patients with diseases of the schizophrenia spectrum as cases, and their healthy male brothers as controls. Obstetric complications were assessed using the "Midwife Protocol" of Parnas et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main result was that birth weight may be a risk factor for schizophrenia, as indicated by odds ratio analysis. The confidence intervals are very wide and, without compromising the clinical significance of the results, they give a limited indication of the real entity of the risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results contribute to understanding of the role played by a single complications.
authors.affiliation: University La Sapienza, III Psychiatric Clinic, University of Rome, Italy. giuseppe.bersani@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Giorgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manuali
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramieri
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Taddei
authors.forename: Iliana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.forename: Maria Sofia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cattaruzza
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pancheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology*