title: Prenatal influenza exposure and delivery complications: implications for the development of schizophrenia.
abstract: This study assessed prenatal influenza exposure in relation to pregnancy complications and delivery complications. Participants of this study consisted of a community sample of all mothers of 1,795 children who were a birth cohort recruited at age 3 in a prospective longitudinal project in Mauritius. The onset of the 1968-1972 A2/Hong Kong influenza epidemic in January 1970 was established from officially published death rates and newspaper records. Data on pregnancy and delivery complications were derived from hospital and clinic records. The study found that prenatal exposure to influenza was associated with increased delivery complications, F(1,351) = 12.2, P = 0.001. There was no effect of influenza exposure on pregnancy complications. The findings have implications for theories on both the development of schizophrenia and other behavior processes. From a public health perspective, reducing influenza exposure in young women of childbearing age might be a critically important first step in the prevention of adverse psychiatric outcomes associated with obstetric complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of York, York, England.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Venables
authors.forename: Jianghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Sarnoff A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mednick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001359:Aviation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008435:Mauritania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010829:Physiological Phenomena; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D012621:Seasons; D055815:Young Adult