A retrospective case control study was performed using the records of 60 catatonics, 189 noncatatonic schizophrenics, 262 schizophreniform disorder cases, 122 manics, 203 depressives and 134 surgical controls. This study suggests that perinatal distress and a history of severe infectious disease in childhood are more common among subjects with catatonia. Rheumatic fever is particularly common among the histories of catatonic patients. Although these findings did not occur in all cases of catatonia in the study, they may indicate a risk factor for some types of catatonia.