Cancer in Children of Epileptic Mothers and Anticonvulsant Therapy
Author Information
Author(s): J.H. Olsen, J.D. Boice Jr, J.F. Fraumeni Jr
Primary Institution: Danish Cancer Registry; National Cancer Institute
Hypothesis
Is there a relationship between maternal anticonvulsant therapy and cancer incidence in children of epileptic mothers?
Conclusion
The study found no evidence that anticonvulsant drugs are transplacental carcinogens, and overall increases in cancer risk are unlikely.
Supporting Evidence
- Among the 3,727 offspring, 49 cancers were identified compared to 53.8 expected.
- Among children born after their mothers' first admission for epilepsy, 14 cancers were identified compared to 13.8 expected.
- No significant increase in risk for any specific cancer was found.
- Prenatal exposures to anticonvulsants were likely to be heaviest among the 2,579 children born after hospitalisation.
Takeaway
The study looked at children born to mothers with epilepsy and found that the medicine the mothers took during pregnancy didn't seem to cause cancer in their kids.
Methodology
The study evaluated cancer incidence among 3,727 offspring of women hospitalized for epilepsy using a record-linkage survey with the national cancer registry.
Potential Biases
Some mothers had incomplete drug histories, and about 13% received little or no anticonvulsant treatment.
Limitations
The study had a relatively small number of observed cancers, which limited the power to detect small relative risks.
Participant Demographics
The study included 3,727 children (1,933 boys and 1,794 girls) born to 3,066 female patients admitted for epilepsy.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.6-1.7
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