Table 2.
Risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring of mothers with high body mass index (BMI) before or during pregnancy
| Study and setting | Timing of BMI measurement | Risk of schizophrenia, Odds ratio (95% CI) | Other findings | Adjustment for confounding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones et al. (1998) (36), Finnish 1966 birth cohort | Pre-pregnancy | 2.1 (0.9–4.6) for children of mothers with BMI > 29 compared with children of mothers with BMI 19.1–29 | Significant association with schizophrenia and low birth weight (LBW), i.e. <2,500 g, LBW and short gestation (<37 weeks) combined, and perinatal brain damage | Gender of offspring, social class and maternal age at conception |
| Schaefer et al. (2000) (39), CHDS cohort, USA | Pre-pregnancy | 2.9 (1.3–6.6) for children of mothers with BMI > 30 compared with BMI 20.0–26.9 | – | Maternal age, ethnicity, parity, smoking, education |
| Wahlbeck et al. (2001) (38), Helsinki, Finland | Late pregnancy | 3.75 (1.42–9.89) for children of mothers with BMI < 24 compared with BMI > 30 | Significant association between LBW, length and placental weight and risk of schizophrenia. | – |
| Kawai et al. (2004) (42), Hamamatsu City, Japan | Early and late pregnancy | 1.24 (1.02–1.50) for higher maternal BMI at early pregnancy and 1.19 (1.01–1.41) for late pregnancy | Number of antenatal care visit significantly associated with schizophrenia. Maternal BMI and number of antennal care visit associated with increased obstetric complications in case group | Birth order, gestational age of offspring |