Maternal risk factors associated with offspring biliary atresia: population-based study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hepatology
• Neonatal Research
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive, idiopathic, fibro-obliterative disease of the intra and extrahepatic biliary tree, leading to severe liver injury and death if untreated.
• The etiology and pathogenesis of BA remain unclear, with limited research on maternal factors.
• Few studies have investigated the association between maternal illness/drug use and the occurrence of BA in offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal illness/drug use and the occurrence of biliary atresia (BA) in offspring.
• To identify specific maternal risk factors contributing to BA.
• To explore the potential for preventing BA through understanding maternal etiology.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from Taiwan's Birth Certificate Application linked to the National Health Insurance Research Database and Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database (2004-2017).
• Included 1,647,231 births, identifying 285 cases of biliary atresia (BA) based on diagnosis and procedure codes.
• Analyzed the association between maternal conditions and BA occurrence in offspring.

Main Results:

• Mothers with type 2 diabetes mellitus had a significantly higher rate of having BA children (Odds Ratio [OR] = 2.17, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.04-4.53).
• Maternal non-dependent drug abuse was also associated with a higher rate of BA in offspring (OR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.34-6.78).
• These findings indicate a notable link between maternal factors and BA occurrence.

Conclusions:

• The occurrence of biliary atresia (BA) in offspring is potentially related to maternal illness and drug use.
• Maternal drug abuse and type 2 diabetes mellitus represent significant risk factors for BA.
• Identifying maternal etiology could pave the way for preventing biliary atresia.