Risk of being born preterm in offspring of survivors with childhood or adolescent central nervous system tumour in Sweden

An increasing number of patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumour could survive to reproductive age. However, it is largely unknown whether the history of CNS tumour might affect pregnancy outcome. We aimed to explore the risk of being born pretem among children of CNS tumour survivors. By linking several nationwide registers in Sweden, we identified 1369 children whose parents were childhood or adolescent CNS tumour survivors. Children whose parents did not have CNS tumour were matched randomly with a 5:1 ratio to generate the reference group. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The prevalence of preterm birth (PTB) was 6.9% among children of survivors with CNS tumour and 5.2% among the matched controls. Children of survivors had an increased risk of PTB (adjusted OR=1.29, 95%CI 1.01-1.65) compared to the matched controls. This risk was increased specifically among offspring of those diagnosed in childhood (adjusted OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.14-2.06) but not adolescence (adjusted OR=0.89, 95%CI 0.56-1.41). For families with more than one child, the risk was slightly lower among the second child as compared to the first child. The risk was negatively associated with time interval between parental diagnosis and childbirth. Parental medulloblastoma and ependymoma were most strongly associated with a higher risk of PTB. Children of survivors with CNS tumour experienced an elevated risk of PTB. However, the risk diminishes gradually following parental diagnosis of CNS tumour. Offspring of childhood CNS tumour survivors and medulloblastoma or ependymoma survivors may have the highest risk of PTB. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved