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Maternal vitamin use and reduced risk of neuroblastoma
Andrew F Olshan1, Joanna C Smith, Melissa L Bondy
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. andy_olshan@unc.edu
Insights
Maternal vitamin use before and during pregnancy was linked to a 30-40% reduced risk of childhood neuroblastoma. This finding supports the potential protective effects of prenatal vitamins against pediatric cancers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Cancer Prevention
Background:
- Previous research suggests maternal vitamin intake during pregnancy may lower childhood brain tumor rates.
- This study specifically examines the association between maternal vitamin use and neuroblastoma risk in offspring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation and the incidence of neuroblastoma in children.
- To analyze data from a large North American cohort to assess this association.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed, including 538 children diagnosed with neuroblastoma and 504 matched controls.
- Mothers were interviewed via telephone to collect data on vitamin use in the pre-conception period and throughout pregnancy.
- Controls were selected using random-digit dialing and matched to cases.
Main Results:
- Daily vitamin and mineral use in the month preceding pregnancy and during each trimester was associated with a 30-40% reduction in neuroblastoma risk.
- An odds ratio of 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4-0.9) was observed for daily vitamin use during the second trimester.
- The study could not isolate the effects of individual vitamins or minerals, and results were consistent across different age groups and oncogene amplification statuses.
Conclusions:
- Maternal vitamin use during pregnancy appears to be associated with a reduced incidence of neuroblastoma.
- These findings align with previous research suggesting a protective role for prenatal vitamins against other childhood cancers.
Background:
Previous studies have suggested that maternal vitamin use during pregnancy may reduce the incidence of childhood brain tumors. Using data from a large North American study, we conducted an analysis to investigate maternal vitamin use and neuroblastoma in offspring.
Methods:
Cases were children diagnosed with neuroblastoma over the period 1 May 1992 to 30 April 1994 at Children's Cancer Group and Pediatric Oncology Group institutions throughout the United States and Canada. One matched control was selected for each case using random-digit dialing. We obtained vitamin use information during specific periods before and during pregnancy from 538 case and 504 control mothers through telephone interviews.
Results:
Daily vitamin and mineral use in the month before pregnancy and in each trimester was associated with a 30-40% reduction in risk of neuroblastoma. For example, daily use in the second trimester had an odds ratio of 0.6 (95% confidence interval = 0.4-0.9). We were unable to isolate the effects of specific vitamins or minerals. Neither age at diagnosis nor oncogene amplification status materially altered the results.
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that vitamin use during pregnancy might reduce incidence of neuroblastoma, consistent with findings for other childhood cancers.