Prenatal and early postnatal brain development: The Generation R Study

Several psychiatric disorders in childhood and adulthood have been hypothesized to be neurodevelopmental in origin. Numerous studies have provided evidence for subtle deviations in brain morphology in children and adults with attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia, compared to healthy children and adults. It is still unclear whether these subtle changes emerge in prenatal life or during brain maturation in childhood and adolescence. Findings supporting the hypothesis that (child) psychiatric disorders are related to an adverse environment in fetal life and early postnatal life include increased risk for schizophrenia in persons born after exposure to severe famine in utero and increased frequency of obstetric complications in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. This thesis aimed to extend existing knowledge on the prenatal and early neurodevelopmental basis of behavioral and emotional problems. The studies in this thesis were conducted in the Generation R Study, a data collection project from fetal life until young adulthood in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.