Prenatal exposure to infection linked to schizophrenia

[bufo marinus]

Prenatal exposure to infection linked to schizophrenia

 

Kirrilly Burton - Friday, 11 September 2009

 

THE synergistic interaction of antenatal exposure to maternal infection and a genetic vulnerability to mental illness may dramatically raise the risk of newborns developing schizophrenia later in life.

 

The findings suggest a future in which such gene-environment interaction could be addressed using prophylactic antibiotics in susceptible pregnancies.

 

Finnish researchers studied the offspring of 9596 women who had received treatment during pregnancy for pyelonephritis.

 

They estimated that offspring who were exposed to infections in utero and were genetically vulnerable to a range of psychotic disorders were five times more likely to develop schizophrenia than those exposed to infection without a genetic predisposition.

 

“We found that up to half of the cases of schizophrenia in our sample who were exposed to both risk factors could be attributed to the synergistic action of prenatal infection exposure and familial liability to psychosis,” the authors said.

 

Professor Ian Hickie, executive director of the Brain & Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney, said the results built on findings in animal studies.

 

Professor John McGrath, director of epidemiology and developmental neurobiology at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research agreed with the authors' view that infection might have an indirect effect on fetal brain development via elevated levels of maternal cytokine interleukin.

 

“Animal studies… are showing in a very convincing fashion that even very tiny doses of infection can stimulate maternal immune activation, and that can alter brain development,” he said.

 

Professor McGrath believed antibiotics could be administered to prenatal women to possibly prevent schizophrenia in offspring.

 

Am J Psychiatry 2009; 166:1025-30

 

 

I wonder what the NCPIC would say to that?, probably just move the goal posts to suit I'd imagine.

[freddie]

Ban synergistic interaction of antenatal exposure to maternal infection, I say.

[Radic]

hehe

it has long been known

THC is a prophylactic antibiotic

so thats 1 of the many reasons why cannabis has been perscribed all thu gestation

by almost every midwife befor 1936

science is proving we right again

gotta love dat one bufo

thanx for the post

irey guidance

[Budman2012]

Heh , Yeh just logged on and was amused by the article but at the same time it sounds a bit creepy to me ...

Shall I elaborate? .. why not

 

Aside from the use of the word "may" "might" "possibility" ... even "estimate" as is so common in "science" ...

This sounds suspect to me ...

The findings suggest a future in which such gene-environment interaction could be addressed using prophylactic antibiotics in susceptible pregnancies

Professor McGrath believed antibiotics could be administered to prenatal women to possibly prevent schizophrenia in offspring.

Well , that's all very well and good is it? ... What better way to market more Drugs than to prescribe someone something for something they don't have , but MIGHT get in the future? ... All based on "Maybe's" & "Mightbe's" ... If by chance people still fall ill , well these things happen ... if they never do then it was ofc the Miracle "Preventative" Drug

 

Finnish researchers studied the offspring of 9596 women who had received treatment during pregnancy for pyelonephritis

Maybe it was the "treatment" that was given by the Medical Practicioners that cause their estimated outcome???

 

How did they "Estimate" the numbers I wonder why is it so rare for these articles/studies to indicate how exactly

the conclusion was formulated ... let alone "The Reason For Their Research" ... could it be they are looking to "prove" pre-conceived ideas , possibly even with vested interests? and then would such a case not suggest bias or inconsistencies may be present in said research?

 

Anyway , I won't go on about it ... just to say that I think , Sure , Infection in pregnancy is certainly not good , everyone could agree on that ... But the link to Schizophrenia sounds like what the article sounded like ... based on presumption.

It sounds like yet another excuse to manafacture and distribute ever more drugs for the "guineau pig" society we live in ... and a very thin stab in the dark on the subject of psychotic illness.

But that's just my opinion of it

 

If I was a Schizophrenia activist (if there is such a thing) ... I would take this type of article with as much sceptisicm and contempt as I do all the Cannabis related ones relating to the subject.

This rant has concluded.

 

Cheerz all , Stay Healthy Naturally

 

Budman

 

P.s. , and I agree with Freddy ... "Ban synergistic interaction of antenatal exposure to maternal infection" !!! heheheh

[andreajones021]

Anyway , I will not go on about it ... just to say that I anticipate , Sure , Infection in abundance is absolutely not acceptable , anybody could accede on that ... But the hotlink to Schizophrenia sounds like what the commodity articulate like ... based on presumption. It sounds like yet addition alibi to manafacture and deliver anytime added drugs for the "guineau pig" association we reside in ... and a actual attenuate ache in the aphotic on the accountable of certifiable illness.

[elwood]

ok budman i have to disagree with you.

 

The reason why the method used in the study is not provided is because the article posted is simply a newspaper summary of the findings, most likely written by a non-medical journalist with as much hyperbole as they could muster.

 

And to say that prophylaxis is not needed for antenatal infections is again bullshit. They are not simply trying to drum up profits for a drug company, but rather determine the aetiology of schizophrenia so that we may hopefully prevent it in future. I have worked in mental health and i can assure you that despite all the chronic pain some people may have, nothing, and i mean NOTHING, is worse than having schizophrenia. To say that "these things happen" clearly illustrates you insensitivity towards the mentally ill and your ignorance towards mental health. And to make matters worse the drug shown to work best has a 1% chance of fatal agranulocytosis (lack of white cells leading to overwhelming infection meaning you die), they also haven't really brought out any new treatments since like the 50's (and those that have been released are simply chemical analogues of past drugs, which pretty much work the same its just that the drug companies get to re-patent the drug hence leading to profits but thats another enchilada so don't get me started)

 

Also and if you don't believe me about the importance that maternal infection plays in baby development let me just fill you in on a few common infections requiring prophylaxis:

Rubella - causes mental retardation, cataracts, deafness.

Group B streptococcus (a bacteria that normally inhabits a womans vagina) - causes overwhelming infection in the baby.

Toxoplasmosis - again fucks the baby up.

 

Pretty much what im saying is that you should probably be more supportive of legitimate medical research. These people are not payed by drug companies, so if they can figure out which infection, at which stage of labour, the sorts of genes involved to the point where we can do regular antenatal screening for schizophrenia and prevent it i think it's fantastic. Even if we do end up giving antibiotics to some people who don't need it, who really gives a shit at least we will have a society where people can be free of mental health and the stigmas attached to them. Which, as your a member of ozstoners i can say affect you, because until we have proven the cause of schizophrenia to not be marijuana but rather an insidious infection your mum got whilst pregnant, all the anti drugs groups are still going to have that myth to hold on to.

 

I am high so that may have not made sense, but it does to me so....

 

.... yeah