ABSTRACT
Prenatal and perinatal stress increase the risk for schizophrenia significantly – especially when there are family disturbances. Unfortunately this factual observation has not yet been explained in specific terms (i.e. a causal pathway identified). An unfortunate consequence of the increased survival rate of very premature babies (with the associated risk of minor brain injury) may be an increase in their subsequent risk for developing psychosis. Naturally, one would assume that better health for the mother and antenatal care would have a beneficial effect on this. An intensification of the psychological support for parents at risk should also improve the future prognosis. However, since the incidence of schizophrenia is so low, the impact of such intensity of psychological perinatal care on incidence would be difficult to evaluate.
