title: Familial liability, obstetric complications and childhood development abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia: a case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genetic and environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions are linked to higher likelihood of developing schizophrenia in accordance with the neurodevelopmental model of disease; little is known about risk factors and early development in early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and very early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a case-control study of a sample of 21 patients with EOS/VEOS and a control group of 21 patients with migraine, recruited from the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Science, University of Bari, Italy. The aim was to assess the statistical association between VEOS/EOS and family history for psychiatric disorders, obstetric complications and childhood developmental abnormalities using 2 × 2 tables and a Chi Squared or Fisher test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show a statistical association between EOS/VEOS and schizophrenia and related disorders (P = 0.02) and personality disorders (P = 0.003) in relatives, and between EOS/VEOS and developmental abnormalities of early relational skills (P = 0.008) and learning (P = 0.04); there is not a statistically relevant difference between cases and controls (P > 0.05) for any obstetric complications (pre, peri and postpartum).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the significant role of familial liability but not of obstetric complications in the pathogenesis of VEOS/EOS; the association between childhood developmental abnormalities and EOS/VEOS supports the neurodevelopmental model of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Sciences, Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. l.margari@neurol.uniba.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Margari
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Petruzzelli
authors.forename: Paola A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lecce
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Todarello
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Giacomo
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lucarelli
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Margari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D017678:Sex Distribution