Increased incidence of childhood mental disorders following exposure to early life infection

Early life exposure to infectious diseases confers risk for adult psychiatric disorders but relatively few human population studies have examined associations with childhood mental disorder. Here we the effects of maternal infection during pregnancy, and child in early (birth age 4 years), relation first disorder diagnosis (age 5–13 years). The study sample comprised 71,841 children represented a cohort New South Wales, Australia, followed from birth adolescence via linkage administrative registers. Childhood disease was determined prenatal period (i.e., gestation), (between years) using NSW Ministry Health Admitted Patients data collection. Days recorded diagnoses between years Health’s Patients, Emergency Department Mental Ambulatory collections. While crude hazard ratios both exposures indicated significantly earlier associated these factors, only higher adjusted (aHR) any (aHR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.11–1.32), externalising 1.45, 1.18–1.79) developmental 1.82, 1.49–2.22) when < 5 were taken into account. Exposure childhood, not exposure, appears be childhood.