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Season of Birth in Schizophrenia

Evidence for Confinement of an Excess of Winter Births to Patients Without a Family History of Mental Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Eadbhard O'Callaghan ,
Tessa Gibson ,
Hubert A. Colohan ,
David Walshe ,
Peter Buckley ,
Conall Larkin  and
John L. Waddington
Eadbhard O'Callaghan*
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services and Genetics Section, Institute of Psychiatry, London
Tessa Gibson
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Dublin
Hubert A. Colohan
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, University of Southampton
David Walshe
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Dublin
Peter Buckley
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Dublin
Conall Larkin
Affiliation:
St John of God Psychiatric Services, Dublin
John L. Waddington
Affiliation:
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin
*
∗ Genetics Section, Institute of Psychiatry, de Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

Although it is well recognised that schizophrenic patients are more often born in winter, the significance of this finding remains obscure. Data relating to season of birth and family history were analysed for 561 patients with an ICD–9 diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients with no family history of any psychiatric disorder group were significantly more likely to be born in winter than patients with a first-degree relative affected by schizophrenia. In comparison with normal population controls, only those without a family history exhibited a significant excess of winter births, suggesting an environmental factor of greater aetiological significance in these patients.

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Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 6 , June 1991 , pp. 764 - 769
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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