A group of thirty-eight mothers with an onset of schizophrenia related to gestation and delivery of a child was studied to see if the sex determines whether the onset would be during the first trimester or the puerperium, if this would be particularly true of ‘process’ schizophrenics and whether the sex of subsequent children would lead to subsequent remissions or exacerbations.
No difference was found in the influence of fetal sex on precipitation, remission or exacerbation of either ‘process’ or ‘reactive’ schizophrenia.
A tendency to have subsequent children either all male or all female was noted and discussed.
References
1.
MelgesF. T.: Postpartum psychiatric reactions: time of onset and sex ratio of newborns.Science166: 1026–1027, 1970.
2.
SchearerM. L., DavidsonR. T., and FinchS. M.: The sex ratio of offspring born to state hospitalized schizophrenic women.J. Psychiat. Res.5: 349–350, 1967.
3.
StephensJ. H., AstrupC., and MangrumJ. C.: Prognostic factors in recovered and deteriorated schizophrenics.Amer. J. Psychiat.122: 1116–1121, 1966.
4.
TaylorM. A., and LevineR.: Puerperal schizophrenia: a physiological interaction between mother and fetus.Biol. Psychiat.1: 97–101, 1969.
5.
TaylorM. A.: Sex ratios of newborns and schizophrenia.Science168: 151–152, 1970.
6.
TaylorM. A.: Sex ratios of newborns; associated with prepartum and postpartum schizophrenia.Science164: 723–724, 1969.
7.
VaillantG.: Prospective prediction of schi-zophrenic remission.Arch. Gen. Psychiat.11: 509–518, 1964.
8.
VilleeD. B.: Development of endocrine function in the human placenta and fetus.N.Eng. J. Med.281: 533–541, 1969.