Neonatal head circumference and related indices of disturbed fetal development in schizophrenic patients

Neonatal head circumference and dermatoglyphic patterns were examined in 60 schizophrenic patients with previous findings of elevated rates of minor physical anomalies. Neonatal head circumference was reduced in patients vs neonatal matched-controls. Patients did not differ from healthy adult controls on total finger ridge count, a-b palmar ridge count, or pattern type asymmetry. No significant relationships were found in patients between neonatal head circumference, dermatoglyphics and minor physical anomalies, with one exception: reduced a-b palmar ridge count was associated with abnormalities of the mouth. No relationship was found between patients' neonatal head circumference and their adult head circumference. Adult male schizophrenic patients had larger head circumference relative to body length than their male controls. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.