A sex-specified effect of obstetrical complications in symptoms of schizophrenia.

Research on obstetrical complications (OCs) reports a connection with the development of more severe (negative) schizophrenic symptoms. To date, no study has tested to see if this association varies by sex. A large sample (n=786) of patients from a state hospital population in the United States was screened for study variables. Statistical tests employed were crosstabular analysis and analysis of variance. The central finding is a significant connection between OCs and negative symptoms for females but not for males. The authors speculate that there may be differences in the ways by which male and female fetuses respond to OCs or a distinction between the sexes in genetic predisposition toward severe schizophrenia.