Maternal Anemia and the Risk of Childhood Cancer: A Population-based Cohort Study in Taiwan

Overview

Journal Pediatr Blood Cancer

Specialties Hematology
Oncology
Pediatrics

Date 2023 Jan 5

PMID 36600459

Authors

Helen T Orimoloye

Naveen Qureshi

Pei-Chen Lee

Chia-Kai Wu

Chai Saechao

Noah Federman

Chung-Yi Li

Beate Ritz

Onyebuchi A Arah

Julia E Heck

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Childhood cancer may be related to maternal health in pregnancy. Maternal anemia is a common condition in pregnancy, especially in low-income countries, but the association between maternal anemia and childhood cancer has not been widely studied.

Objective: To examine the potential relation between maternal anemia during pregnancy and childhood cancers in a population-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Methods: We examined the relationship between maternal anemia and childhood cancer in Taiwan (N = 2160 cancer cases, 2,076,877 noncases). Cases were taken from the National Cancer Registry, and noncases were selected from birth records. Using national health registries, we obtained maternal anemia diagnoses. We estimated the risks for childhood cancers using Cox proportional hazard analysis.

Results: There was an increased risk of cancers in children born to mothers with nutritional anemia (hazard ratio (HR): 1.32, 95% CI 0.99, 1.76). Iron deficiency anemia (HR: 1.30, 95% CI 0.97-1.75) carried an increased risk, while non-nutritional anemias were not associated with childhood cancer risk.

Conclusion: Our results provide additional support for screening for anemia during pregnancy. Adequate nutrition and vitamin supplementation may help to prevent some childhood cancer.

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