Prenatal exposure to tobacco and risk for schizophrenia: a retrospective epidemiological study.
BACKGROUND
In animal studies, long-term prenatal nicotinic exposure alters the development of dopaminergic neurons. To determine whether prenatal smoking exposure was associated with schizophrenia, using a retrospective design study, we compared the prevalence of tobacco use during pregnancy in mothers of subjects with and without schizophrenia.


METHODS
One hundred patients with schizophrenia, 100 nonschizophrenic-matched subjects, and their respective mothers were interviewed. The prevalence of smoking was measured in these individuals as well as in their respective mothers during the pregnancy.


RESULTS
Patients with schizophrenia smoked more often compared with controls (73% vs 57%). In contrast, the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy did not differ between the groups of mothers. Indeed, the amount of tobacco used was significantly lower in mothers of patients with schizophrenia vs mothers of nonpsychotic subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
This study did not show any association between prenatal tobacco exposure and further development of schizophrenia.
Department of Psychiatry, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen 76031, France.
Audrey
A
Baguelin-Pinaud
Sylvie
S
Robert
Jean-François
JF
Ménard
Florence
F
Thibaut
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014026:Nicotiana