Child developmental risk factors for adult schizophrenia

The following risk factors for schizophrenia were demonstrated in a prospective cohort study of 5362 individuals born in one week in 1946:

• motor milestones were delayed in children who later developed schizophrenia (difference 1.2 months, p=0.005)
  
  
• up to age 15 cases had more speech problems (odds ratio 2.8 p=0.04)
  
  
• low educational test scores were a risk factor
  
  
• solitary play preference at ages 4 and 6 predicted schizophrenia (OR 2.1 and 2.5 p=0.05)
  
  
• teachers assessed cases as being more anxious in social situations (p=0.003)
  
  
• health visitors assessed mothers of cases at age 4 years as having poor mothering skills (OR 5.8 p=0.02)

Reference:

• Jones, P. et al. (1994). Child developmental risk factors for adult schizophrenia in the British 1946 cohort. Lancet 344, 1398-1402.