Relationship Between Pregnancy Experience and the Development of Certain Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Childhood

Abstract

Results of a series of studies concerning the association of maternal and fetal factors with the development of cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental deficiency, behavior disorders in childhood and speech defects are reported. In all of these disorders, with the exception of speech defects, a significant association was found with certain complications of pregnancy, prematurity, etc. The fact that these abnormalities are also those that influence infant loss led to the development of the concept of a continuum of reproductive casualty. This consists of a lethal component comprising abortions, stillbirths and neonatal deaths and a sublethal component consisting of the neuropsychiatric disorders of childhood. Support for this hypothesis is obtained from the fact that the strength of association with the factors studied is greatest in the case of stillbirths and neonatal deaths but is successively less in cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental deficiency and least in the case of behavior disorders. The implications of these findings for research, preventive medicine and public health are briefly discussed.