The associations between maternal factors during pregnancy and the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A meta-analysis

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015 Jul;62(7):1162-70. doi: 10.1002/pbc.25443. Epub 2015 Mar 1.

Abstract

Background: Although genetic and environmental factors are considered to be the main causes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the associations between maternal factors during pregnancy and the childhood ALL is still unclear.

Procedure: In this study, meta-analysis was used. Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched. The result was assessed based on pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: The pooled ORs showed that there were associations between childhood ALL and the birth order (The first vs others, OR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.00-1.16), the education of pregnant woman (>high school vs ≤ high school, OR = 0.82, 95%CI = 0.77-0.86), smoking (Ever vs never, OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 1.02-1.19).

Conclusions: Our meta-analysis showed that there were important associations between childhood ALL and the birth order, the education of pregnant woman, smoking.

Keywords: acute lymphoblastic leukemia; childhood; maternal factors; meta-analysis; pregnancy.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Birth Order*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Education*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / etiology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Factors
  • Smoking / adverse effects*