Time-to-pregnancy and risk of schizophrenia

Reprint of: Advanced paternal age and risk of schizophrenia in offspring - Review of epidemiological findings and potential mechanisms

A large number of studies have examined the association between advanced paternal age (APA) and risk of schizophrenia in offspring. Here we present an overview of epidemiological studies on this subject published since 2000, and systematically summarize their methodologies and results. Next, we discuss evidence to elucidate the potential mechanisms contributing to the association between APA and offspring schizophrenia, considering paternal psychiatric morbidity and genetic liability, maternal factors, and findings from family design studies. We propose that multiple mechanisms, including causal and non-causal pathways, contribute to the observed relationship between APA and schizophrenia in offspring, and conclude by highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary studies in disentangling these complex, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms.

Advanced paternal age and risk of schizophrenia in offspring - Review of epidemiological findings and potential mechanisms

A large number of studies have examined the association between advanced paternal age (APA) and risk of schizophrenia in offspring. Here we present an overview of epidemiological studies on this subject published since 2000, and systematically summarize their methodologies and results. Next, we discuss evidence to elucidate the potential mechanisms contributing to the association between APA and offspring schizophrenia, considering paternal psychiatric morbidity and genetic liability, maternal factors, and findings from family design studies. We propose that multiple mechanisms, including causal and non-causal pathways, contribute to the observed relationship between APA and schizophrenia in offspring, and conclude by highlighting the need for multi-disciplinary studies in disentangling these complex, non-mutually exclusive mechanisms.

Comparison of the pregnancy outcomes of subfertile women after infertility treatment and in naturally conceived pregnancies

BACKGROUND

Adverse obstetric outcomes in pregnancies achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART) could either be due to the technology or to the underlying subfertility or to both. To address this issue, we compared the pregnancy outcomes of singletons conceived naturally after a long time to pregnancy (TTP) with those of ART pregnancies.

METHODS

We analysed an existing birth database. Altogether 428 ART pregnancies were compared with 928 spontaneously conceived pregnancies with TTP of 2 years or more, during the period 1989-2007 at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

Between treated and untreated subfertile women no significant differences were found in the rates of Caesarean sections (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.89-1.64), preterm births (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.81-2.03), small for gestational age (SGA) birthweight (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.65-1.39), need of neonatal intensive care (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.88-1.88) or low Apgar scores (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.47-3.04). However, compared with pregnancies of women with TTP 0-6 months, ART pregnancies had significantly increased risks of preterm or very preterm birth, low birthweight and need of neonatal intensive care.

CONCLUSIONS

The risks of preterm birth, SGA, need for neonatal intensive care and low Apgar scores were not significantly different between subfertile women who conceived spontaneously and those who conceived through ART indicating that maternal factors relating to subfertility and not only infertility treatment are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.