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Birth Weight and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky
Frank D Groves1, Brittany T Watkins1, Daniel J Roberts1
1From the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, the Illinois State Cancer Registry, Springfield, and the Arizona Cancer Registry, Phoenix.
Insights
High birth weight in children is linked to an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This association was particularly noted in non-Hispanic white children, suggesting potential links to maternal factors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Epidemiology
- Perinatal Health
Background:
- Macrosomic children (birth weight >4 kg) have a previously reported increased risk of leukemia.
- Understanding risk factors for childhood leukemia is crucial for early detection and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To confirm the association between high birth weight and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children.
- To investigate specific demographic groups within this association.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study using birth certificates from Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky.
- Matching leukemia-diagnosed children (before age 5) with leukemia-free controls by sex, race, ethnicity, and birth location/date.
- Conditional logistic regression analysis to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for ALL in relation to birth weight.
Main Results:
- Children with high birth weight (>4 kg) showed an elevated risk of ALL (OR 1.28).
- This increased risk was primarily observed in non-Hispanic white children (OR 1.77), affecting both boys and girls.
- The study confirmed the association between high birth weight and ALL in children of European ancestry.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a link between high birth weight and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.
- Maternal overnutrition is suggested as a potential shared risk factor for both macrosomia and childhood ALL.
- Further research into maternal health and its impact on fetal development and childhood cancer risk is warranted.
Objective:
To confirm the previously reported increased risk of leukemia among macrosomic children (those with birth weight >4 kg).
Methods:
Birth certificates of Arizona, Illinois, and Kentucky children diagnosed as having acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before age 5 years were matched with birth certificates from leukemia-free children of the same sex, race, and ethnicity who were born in the same county on or about the same day. Odds ratios (ORs) for ALL among children of low (<2.5 kg) or high (>4 kg) birth weight were calculated by conditional logistic regression.
Results:
Children with high birth weight had an elevated risk of ALL in the first 5 years of life (OR 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.61). The excess risk was confined to non-Hispanic whites (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.27-2.48), both boys (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.01-2.45) and girls (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.26-3.52).
Conclusions:
This study confirms the association between high birth weight and ALL previously reported by other studies in children of European ancestry. The literature on maternal risk factors for both macrosomia and ALL is reviewed, with maternal overnutrition emerging as a plausible risk factor for both outcomes.
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