Obstetric complications and Apgar score in early-onset schizophrenic patients with prominent positive and prominent negative symptoms

The objective of the study was to find associations between obstetric complications (OCs) history and schizophrenia course and symptoms. We analysed the obstetric and psychiatric history of 50 DSM IV schizophrenic subjects who experienced their first schizophrenia episode in adolescence, and 30 healthy controls. Obstetrical data and Apgar scores were obtained from medical records and evaluated with the Lewis and Murray Scale. Based on patients' documentation [including longitudinal evaluation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)] the symptom profile and the course of schizophrenia were determined. Results: we distinguished two major groups of patients: with prominent negative and prominent positive symptoms. Schizophrenics with prominent negative symptoms and a chronic schizophrenia course had significantly more definite OCs and lower Apgar scores than patients with prominent positive symptoms and controls. Subjects who had a positive OCs history were more than four times likely to develop schizophrenia in adolescence than those without such a history (OR 4.64; 95% CI = 1.29-17.51) with the likelihood of developing schizophrenia with prominent negative symptoms especially high (OR = 7.31; 95% CI = 1.80-29.65). An Apgar score of between 0 and 3 after birth was associated with an increased risk for developing schizophrenia (OR = 2.25; 95% CI = 0.56-9.12), especially with prominent negative symptoms (OR= 3.71; 95% Cl = 0.84-16.32). The findings support the hypothesis of a role of OCs in developing early-onset schizophrenia and suggest the associations of the OCs history with a specific symptoms profile (prominent negative symptoms) and a chronic course of schizophrenia. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.