Background: Maternal health during pregnancy appears to impact childhood cancer risk, yet comprehensive studies remain scarce. This study investigates associations between childhood cancer and multiple maternal comorbidities.
Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted using Danish national registers, with maternal health conditions identified from the National Patient Register and Medical Births Registry. We employed the Obstetric Comorbidity Index using ICD-8 and ICD-10 codes. The study population (1977-2013) included 6419 cases and 160484 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression estimated pediatric cancer risk.
Results: A maternal comorbidity score of one or more was linked to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; OR = 1.07, 95%CI: 1.03-1.12), retinoblastoma (OR = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.94-1.23), and rhabdomyosarcoma (OR = 1.11, 95%CI: 0.98-1.26). Pre-existing diabetes (OR = 1.82, 95%CI: 1.28-2.59), previous cesarean delivery (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.02-1.41), and gestational hypertension (OR = 1.27, 95%CI: 1.01-1.59) were associated with increased cancer risks in offspring. Slightly higher risks were noted for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (OR = 1.05, 95%CI: 0.96-1.16) and Burkitt lymphoma (OR = 1.08, 95%CI: 0.92-1.27) among children whose mothers had one or more comorbidities.
Conclusion: An obstetric comorbidity index can predict childhood cancer risk. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to reduce adverse health consequences for offspring.
© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.