Signs of asphyxia at birth and risk of schizophrenia. Population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found an association between obstetric complications and schizophrenia, but in many studies the sample size was limited, and no assessment of specific exposures was possible. AIMS: To assess the role of different complications, and in particular to distinguish between disordered foetal development and hypoxia at birth. METHOD: From the Stockholm County In-Patient Register and community registers, we identified 524 cases of schizophrenia and 1043 controls, matched for age, gender, hospital and parish of birth. Data on obstetric complications were obtained from birth records. RESULTS: There was a strong association between signs of asphyxia at birth and schizophrenia (OR 4.4; 95% C11.9-10.3) after adjustment for other obstetric complications, maternal history of psychotic illness and social class. CONCLUSIONS: Signs of asphyxia at birth are associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in adults.

Obstetric complications and risk of schizophrenia. Effect of gender, age at diagnosis and maternal history of psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric complications have been studied frequently as possible risk factors for schizophrenia. AIMS: To test the hypotheses that individual obstetric complications are most strongly associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in males, in patients with an early age at first diagnosis and in subjects with a maternal history of psychosis. METHOD: Cases of schizophrenia diagnosed between January 1971 and June 1994 were identified in the Stockholm County In-Patient Register. Controls were matched on age, gender, hospital of birth and parish of birth. Obstetric data were recorded blind to case-control status for 524 cases and 1043 controls. RESULTS: This study did not find any large or consistent effect of gender, age at diagnosis or maternal history of psychosis on the risk of schizophrenia associated with individual complications. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should examine these effects using a much larger sample that includes patients with schizophrenia and control subjects whose genetic risk of schizophrenia has been assessed accurately.

Intrauterine cranial gunshot wound in a 32-week fetus.

Intrauterine cranial gunshot wounds are rare and usually associated with a fatal outcome for the fetus. We present a case where preterm delivery, neonatal intensive care, and later removal of the bullet resulted in a normal child without any untoward sequelae.

Follow-up of children of insulin dependent (type I) and gestational diabetic mothers. Growth pattern, glucose tolerance, insulin response, and HLA types.

Fifty-three children of insulin dependent (IDM) and 20 children of gestational diabetic mothers (IGDM) representing 80 and 91%, respectively, of all surviving infants of diabetic mothers born between 1969 and 1972 at Sabbatsberg's hospital, Stockholm, participated in the follow-up study. The first follow-up examination was performed when the children had reached approximately 5 years of age and included measurement of height and weight, insulin response to intravenous glucose, and HLA typing. When the children were approximately 11 years old, a search was performed in the national register for type I diabetes in children in order to ascertain the frequency of type I diabetes mellitus in the total series (n = 88). The majority of children had a normal height for age and desirable weight for height. At the first follow-up all children had normal glucose disappearance rates (kt) and the insulin response including the early insulin response to glucose were not different between IDM and IGDM groups. The frequency distribution of HLA antigens (A, B, C) was not different from normal and there was no association between HLA B 8 and/or B 15 and early insulin response or kt values. At the second follow-up, two children of type I diabetic mothers had acquired type I diabetes, both were HLA B 15 positive, had normal kt values at the first follow-up, one with low, one with a high early insulin response. The frequency of type I diabetes in offspring of insulin dependent diabetic mothers was 3%.

Follow-up of children of insulin-dependent and gestational diabetic mothers. Neuropsychological outcome.

Ninety-four infants of 28 weeks gestation or more were born to 85 women, 64 type I and 21 gestational diabetics, between 1969-1972 at Sabbatsberg's Hospital, Stockholm. Perinatal mortality rate was 6.3%. The follow-up study was conducted when the children were approximately 5 years of age and included a physical and a neurological evaluation, IQ determination of mother and child, and an interview of mother by a psychologist. Fifty-three infants of insulin-dependent (IDM) and 20 infants of gestational diabetic mothers (IGDM) (83%) participated, 3 families could not be traced and 12 were unwilling. The group lost to follow-up (13 IDM, 2 IGDM) had more perinatal complications including congenital malformations than the follow-up group. All children had normal physical and neurological development. IQ was normal, the majority were above 100, the average in IDM was 115 (range 98-144) and 112 in IGDM (range 95-133). No obvious relationship was found between maternal acetonuria during pregnancy, infant birthweight, blood glucose during first hours after birth or neonatal complications and IQ of the children. A correlation (r = 0.364, p less than 0.01) was found between maternal and child IQ. Mothers exhibiting emotional disorders (anxiety, depression) had significantly higher life stress scores based on 29 stress variables and reported more frequently about conduct and behavioural disorders in their children than mothers without emotional disturbances.

Perinatal transmission of tuberculosis: meningitis in mother, disseminated disease in child.

A newborn boy and his mother were found to suffer from widespread tuberculosis. The mycobacteria were apparently transmitted from mother to child via the birth canal or possibly by airborne infection.

Circulatory adaptation in newborn infants of strictly controlled diabetic mothers.

Possible relations between neonatal circulatory function and maternal diabetic control were investigated in 22 infants of strictly controlled diabetic mothers during the first 2 days after birth. Eleven infants were delivered vaginally (V) and 11 infants by elective cesarean section (S). Maternal diabetes was more severe in the latter group. Half of the infants had one or more episodes of neonatal morbidity although none presented symptomatic hypoglycemia. Plasma glucose FFA and C-peptide were measured at birth and 3-6 hours later together with skinfold thickness; heart size was determined by X-ray at 24-28 hours; stroke volume and cardiac output were repeatedly determined by transthoracic impedance and ECG. C-peptide at birth was higher in group S than in V. C-peptide in both groups were neither related to glucose or FFA nor to birthweight or skinfold thickness. Infants with neonatal complications including cardiomegaly had the highest C-peptide values. Skinfold was positively correlated to maternal pregnancy glucose level, birthweight percentile and infant heart volume. Mean values for stroke volume and cardiac output were similar in both groups and not different from normal controls when related to body weight. Heart volume and stroke volume were significantly related. ECG abnormalities were seen in 6 infants who showed cardiomegaly on X-ray. We suggest that the present finding of an association between elevated C-peptide concentration at birth and the occurrence of neonatal complications including cardiomegaly and ECG abnormalities could be the consequence of functional hyperinsulinism and that the cardiomegaly is of adaptive type.

Ketotic hypoglycemia of childhood--a clinical trial of several unifying etiological hypotheses.

We have studied 15 children referred to St. Göran's Children's Hospital because of suspected ketotic hypoglycemia. The patients were investigated according to a program designed to test several hypotheses--old and new--postulated to explain the etiology of ketotic hypoglycemia. We have used the classical ketogenic provocation with a low calorie, high fat diet and measured the blood levels of several substrates and hormones as well as the urinary excretion of certain metabolites and hormones. Out of the 15 children, 6 will fill the criteria of ketotic hypoglycemia at the time of study. The most remarkable finding in these 6 children in contrast to the other children studied was that they did not decrease their peripheral glucose utilization (measured as Kg) during starvation. These 6 children seemed to be more "advanced" in their adaptation to ketogenic diet in all other parameters studied. The children with ketotic hypoglycemia did not differ from the other children in plasma level of cortisol or urinary excretion of nitrogen, urea, 3-methylstidine and catecholamines. We favour the concept that the children with ketotic hypoglycemia represent the tail of the gaussian curve in the normal age-dependent development of the adaptation to starvation.

The effect of feeding on oxygen consumption, RQ and plasma levels of glucose, FFA, and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate in newborn infants of diabetic mothers and small for gestational age infants.

Eight infants of strictly controlled diabetic mothers (IDM), 8 infants of gestational diabetic mothers (IGDM) and 6 small for gestational age infants (SGA) were studied before the first feeding and during an early feeding regimen. In IDMs and IGDMs continuous monitoring from 2 hours up to 7 1/2 hours after birth before feeding revealed no consistent changes of VO2 and RQ. The groups of infants were studied on 4 different occasions: (I) 2 to 16 hours, (II) 1 to 2 days, (III) 3 to 4 days, and (IV) 7 to 11 days. Prefeeding VO2-values were not significantly different between each of the groups, but mean RQ was higher in IGDMs than in IDMs. Age of the infant and prefeeding RQ were inversely correlated (r = -0.537, p less than 0.02). With increasing age and milk intake VO2 increased significantly in all groups. RQ decreased during the first 24 to 48 hours in all groups and rose thereafter with highest values at 7 to 11 days. Plasma levels of glucose, FFA, and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate were not significantly different between each of the group. The highest values for D-beta-hydroxybutyrate were found at 1-2 days when the lowest RQ values were also recorded. D-beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and RQ values (r = 0.648, p less than 0.001) were inversely correlated suggesting increasing oxidation of fat. Feeding resulted in a marked rise in RQ to values around unity, which preceded a distinct increase in VO2 that reached a maximum at 1 to 1 1/2 hour after the feed, then slowly returned to pretest values. The rise in VO2 was accompanied by an increase in rectal temperature (0.4 to 1.5 degrees C). VO2, RQ, and plasma levels of glucose, FFA, and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate, were almost identical for each of the groups. We suggest: 1) That differences in feeding practice is the most likely explantation for the discrepancy between reported values for VO2, RQ, and circulating substrates in normal and low birth weight newborns. 2) That the rise in VO2 during the neonatal period, caused by feeding, reflects the cost of growth.