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Perinatal risk factors and coeliac disease in children and young adults: a record linkage study
S E Roberts1, J G Williams, D Meddings
1School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK. stephen.e.roberts@swansea.ac.uk
Insights
This study found that manual social classes, later birth years, and subsequent births are linked to higher risks of coeliac disease in children. Perinatal factors appear to play a limited role in childhood coeliac disease development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Limited understanding of perinatal risk factors for coeliac disease.
- Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting the small intestine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between perinatal risk factors and the development of coeliac disease in offspring.
- To identify potential early life predictors for coeliac disease.
Main Methods:
- Utilized linked birth registration, maternity, and hospital records from a defined population in southern England.
- Employed univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to assess risk factors.
Main Results:
- Coeliac disease showed associations with maternal coeliac disease, social class (manual classes IV and V), birth year (1975-1979), and subsequent births.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed increased risks for manual social classes (OR=3.79), later birth periods (OR=1.92), and subsequent births (OR=1.80).
- Maternal smoking during pregnancy was not significantly associated with coeliac disease in offspring.
Conclusions:
- Manual social classes, births in the late 1970s, and subsequent births are associated with increased risks of coeliac disease.
- Perinatal risk factors appear to have a limited role in the overall etiology of coeliac disease in children and young adults.
Background:
Little is known about perinatal risk factors and coeliac disease.
Aim:
To investigate the relationship between perinatal risk factors and subsequent coeliac disease among offspring.
Methods:
Record linked abstracts of birth registrations, maternity, in-patient and day case records in a defined population of southern England.
Results:
Using univariate analysis, coeliac disease in the child was associated with maternal coeliac disease (odds ratio = 20.6; 95% CI = 5.04-84.0; based on two cases in both mother and child) and with social class, year of birth, maternal smoking and parity. Multivariate analysis confirmed an increased risk of coeliac disease of 3.79 (95% CI = 1.85-7.79) for classes IV and V compared with I and II, an increased risk of 1.92 (1.06-3.49) for births during 1975-1979 compared with 1970-1974 and an increased risk of 1.80 (1.05-3.09) for 'subsequent' compared with 'first' births. Smoking during pregnancy was no longer associated with coeliac disease. Because numbers were small, maternal coeliac disease was excluded from the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
This study shows increased risks of coeliac disease for manual social classes, births during the late 1970s and 'subsequent' births. Overall, perinatal risk factors seem to have a limited role in the aetiology of coeliac disease in children and young adults.
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