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Offspring health risk after cosmetic breast implantation in Sweden
L B Signorello1, J P Fryzek, W J Blot
1International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Insights
This study found no increased risk of rheumatic disease, esophageal disorders, cancer, birth defects, or perinatal death in children born to mothers with silicone breast implants. The findings suggest cosmetic breast implants are not linked to these specific health issues in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Pediatric Health
- Plastic Surgery Outcomes
Background:
- Previous case reports suggested potential health risks for children born to women with silicone breast implants.
- Concerns included rheumatic diseases and esophageal disorders.
- A need for robust epidemiological data to assess these risks was identified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cosmetic breast implants in mothers and specific health outcomes in their children.
- To compare risks of rheumatic disease, esophageal disorders, cancer, congenital malformations, and perinatal death.
- To evaluate risks in children born both before and after maternal implant surgery.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study in Sweden.
- Compared 5,874 children of mothers with cosmetic breast implants to 13,274 children of mothers who had breast reduction surgery.
- Utilized national registers to assess hospitalization rates, cancer incidence, malformation prevalence, and perinatal death.
Main Results:
- No excess risk of rheumatic disease (RR=1.1), esophageal disorders (RR=1.0), cancer (RR=0.3), congenital malformations (RR=1.0), or perinatal death (RR=0.9) was found in children of mothers with breast implants compared to controls.
- Specific analysis of digestive organ malformations also showed no increased risk (RR=0.5).
- No significant differences in outcomes were observed when comparing children born before versus after maternal implant surgery.
Conclusions:
- This study provides no evidence supporting an increased risk of the investigated health outcomes in children born to women with cosmetic breast implants.
- The findings do not corroborate previous suggestions of adverse effects linked to maternal silicone breast implants.
- Further research may be warranted, but current data indicates safety regarding these specific pediatric health concerns.
Abstract:
Case reports have suggested that children born to women with silicone breast implants may have an excess risk of rheumatic disease and/or esophageal disorders. In Sweden, the authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of 5,874 children born to women with cosmetic breast implants and 13,274 children born to women who had breast reduction surgery. Using national registers, they computed hospitalization rates for rheumatic and esophageal disorders, incidence rates for cancer, and prevalence rates for congenital malformations and perinatal death. Relative to children of women who had breast reduction surgery, children born to women who had cosmetic breast implants were not at excess risk of rheumatic disease (relative risk [RR] = 1.1; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.2-5.3), esophageal disorders (RR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7-1.6), cancer (RR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.0-2.5), congenital malformations in total (RR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.6-1.5), or specifically involving the digestive organs (RR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.2-1.3) or perinatal death (RR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.8). The rates of these health outcomes among children born after a mother's implant surgery were also not significantly higher than among children born before a mother's implant surgery. This study provides no evidence that certain hypothesized health outcomes are more likely among the children of women with cosmetic breast implants.