Tardive Dyskinesia and Adverse Perinatal Events

The authors screened and examined sixty one chlldren and adolescents who were receiving neuroleptic treatment from consecutive psychiatric admissions and psychiatric consultations to psychiatric center for the presence of Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) using standardized assessment tools (AIMS and ADS). Assessment was done on more than one occasion and the diagnosis of posltlve cases of TD was based on TD Research Criteria. Histories of perinatal adverslty, developmental milestones and neuroleptic exposure were obtained for both TD and Non-TD subgroups. Results showed that twenty persent (20%) of the sample received a diagnosis of TD. Patients were more likely to be younger males with previous hospitalization, with longer duration of neuroleptic exposure, have longer duratlon of maximal daily dose in mg chlorpromazine equivalents, and with history of exposure to adverse perinatal, neonatal events, developmental delays and neuroigicai events, than non TD patients. I n a series of multiple regression analyses, only neuroleptic exposure, adverse perinatal and developmental events were strongly associated with TD. The explanations and impllcatlons of our results a r e discussed. (Egypt.J. Psychiat.,l994, 17:220-227).