Characteristics of Pregnancy and Birth and Malignancy in the Offspring (Sweden)

• Published in: Cancer causes & control Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 85 - 94
• Main Authors: Mogren, Ingrid, Damber, Lena, Tavelin, Björn, Högberg, Ulf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Kluwer Academic Publishers 01.02.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Birth weight; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cervical cancer; Child; Diabetes; Down syndrome; Estrogens; Female; Gestational age; Humans; Incidence; Leukemia; Male; Maternal Age; Middle age; Middle Aged; Multiple births; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - etiology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Registries - statistics & numerical data; Research Papers; Risk Assessment; Sweden - epidemiology; Testicular cancer; Sweden
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1008813701634

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate whether factors of pregnancy and birth influence the risk of malignancy in the offspring. Methods: Data on all deliveries (248,701 births) in two counties in Sweden 1955-90 were extracted from two birth registries. The follow-up period closed at the end of 1994 and the subjects were followed up to early middle-age at most (39 years). Incidence rates of malignancy were obtained from the Cancer Register 1958-1994. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and relative risks (RR) were calculated. Results: Overall, few associations were detected. A significantly increased standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of 50.00 (95% CI = 13.45-99.99) was found for the relationship between Down's syndrome and lymphatic leukaemia. Elder maternal age (≥35 years) and lymphatic leukaemia were associated with a significantly enhanced risk (SIR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.16-3.20). Maternal age 25-34 years, compared to younger age, was associated with a reduced risk of cervical cancer (RR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.26-0.86). Conclusions: Although some associations, the consistent pattern of non-association indicated a low impact of intrauterine environment or changed genetic material on the future development of malignancy in the offspring up to early middle-age.