January 2020: Maternal Bacterial Infection and Offspring Psychosis Risk

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Younga H. Lee, Ph.D., and Stephen L. Buka, Sc.D., about their research on the association between maternal bacterial infection during pregnancy and risk for psychotic disorders in offspring.

• The New England Family Study [2:50]
• Study design [7:21]
• How information about exposure to bacterial infection was collected, and how offspring who developed mental health problems were evaluated [8:07]
• Main findings with regard to the connection between exposure to bacterial infection in utero and the development of illness among offspring [11:37]
• Whether the findings have any bearing on the use of medication to treat infections in pregnancy [12:27]
• Did any results surprise the researchers? [13:41]
• What further studies should explore [16:56]
• Implications of the work [18:12]

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