Paramedical Sciences and Military Health

Introduction: Schizophrenia is one of the most important neuropsychiatric diseases with unknown etiology that affects approximately 1% of people worldwide. Moreover, environmental factors and infections that occur during pregnancy and at the beginning of birth are important risk factors for schizophrenia.
Methods and Material: The present study is a review article that is obtained by searching the databases and relevant books in this field.
Results: Infectious agents are able to interfere the period of pregnancy and induce serious damages to fetus and placenta. Immune responses to infections have some effects on the fetus and placenta. It is able to interfere developing of the fetus central nervous system. These conditions may be playing a role in the etiology of various psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia.
Discussion and Conclusion: The role of influenza, rubella, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and Toxoplasma gondii has already been suggested in the etiology of schizophrenia. Recently, the role of maternal infections has been postulated in the etiology of schizophrenia.