Association of schizophrenia with low maternal body mass index, small size at birth and thinness during childhood

The authors evaluated data from 7086 subjects born between 1924 and 1933. 114 cases of schizophrenia were identified. Women with a late pregnancy low body mass index ( BMI less than 30) had an increased risk of having an offspring who developed schizophrenia. Low birth weight and length, as well as low placental weight, were risk factors. Children with a length of 49 cm at birth, and who were below the lowest BMI tertile at age 7 years, had a fourfold risk of developing schizophrenia when compared with children who were above upper BMI tertile at age 7 years and were longer at birth.