Maternal and Perinatal Factors Associated With Childhood Brain Tumors: A Case-Control Study in Vietnam

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Epidemiology
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Childhood brain tumors are a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children.
• Etiology of most childhood brain tumors remains unknown.
• Risk factors for childhood brain tumors in Vietnam are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify maternal and perinatal risk factors associated with childhood brain tumors.
• To investigate the link between maternal characteristics and pediatric brain cancer in Vietnam.

Main Methods:

• Hospital-based case-control study conducted in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• 110 children (0-14 years) with brain tumors (cases) and 110 age/sex-matched controls with head trauma.
• Data collected via medical records (perinatal) and in-person interviews (maternal factors).

Main Results:

• Children born to mothers over 30 years old had a 2.55 times higher risk of brain tumors.
• Low maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (<18.5 kg/m²) significantly increased brain tumor odds by 3.19 times.
• Advanced maternal age and low BMI were associated with increased odds of childhood brain tumors.

Conclusions:

• Advanced maternal age and low maternal BMI are associated with increased odds of childhood brain tumors.
• Further population-based studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.
• Findings contribute to understanding pediatric brain tumor etiology in Vietnam.