Abstract
Schizophrenia is a distressing and disabling condition, affecting about 1% of the population worldwide. It is caused by an interaction of genetic and environmental factors which can have their effect in utero and throughout development. Investigation of in utero risk factors for schizophrenia is fraught with methodological difficulties. Recent news reports highlighted work, by Columbia University, which overcomes some of these problems. Dr Brown and colleagues have shown, in line with previous investigations, that maternal influenza infection leads to a modest increase in the risk of developing schizophrenia. The mechanism of this action is unknown, but it is probably indirect. It is too early to make public health policy recommendations regarding flu vaccination.
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