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
