A new study from Scandinavia presents a surprising conclusion: young adult males who were abnormally short at birth were more likely to make violent suicide attempts compared to those who were of longer stature when born.
The study looked at a population of over 300,000 Swedish men born between 1973 and 1980. Among these men, 563 attempted suicide by nonviolent means, while 109 used violent methods such as cutting, hanging, jumping from a height, or shooting. The 109 who were shorter as infants were much more likely to choose a violent means of attempting suicide.
This greater rate of suicide attempts held true even for shorter-length infants who grew up to normal heights during childhood. Those who remained short into adulthood were at even greater risk of a violent suicide attempt. This relationship was even stronger for boys born prematurely and who therefore had low birth weight in addition to short stature.
What does this tell us about the risk of suicide in men? The researchers speculate that curtailed growth of the fetus before birth could result from some adverse conditions experienced by the mother during the pregnancy.
If these adverse conditions were such that they altered serotonin metabolism, that could explain the increased violent suicide attempts in this group. Impulsive and aggressive behaviors, as well as completed suicides, have been associated with low serotonin levels.
Should young adult men who were short at birth worry that they may be at high risk for suicidal behavior? Not really, because the suicide attempt rates even in the study's highest-risk groups were still low. However, the researchers suggest that short birth length should be one psychosocial condition used in determining which children could benefit from early interventions.
The study offered no insights about the suicide risk factors for women, which may be very different than those for men. Research with large populations of women will be necessary to examine the relationship, if any, between fetal development and subsequent suicide risk.
