Obstetric complications and affective psychoses - Two case-control studiesbased on structured obstetric records

Background Unlike schizophrenia. little interest has been taken in the inci dence of obstetric complications in affective psychoses. Aims To find out whether obstetric complications are more common in affecti ve psychoses than matched controls. Method Two hundred and seventeen probands with an in-patient diagnosis of a ffective psychosis who had been born in Scotland in 1971-74, and a further 84 born in 1975-78, were closely matched with controls and the incidence of obstetric complications in the two compared using obstetric data recorded in a set format shortly after birth. Results Abnormal presentation of the foetus was the only complication signi ficantly more common in the affective probands in the 1971-74, and a furthe r th cohort and artificial rupture of the membranes was the only event more common in the probands in the 1975-78 cohort. Both are probably chance fin dings. Conclusion It is unlikely that the incidence of obstetric complications is raised in people with affective psychoses of early onset. Declaration of interest Funding from the Scottish Office Department of Heal th.