The association between birth weight and the risk of neuroblastoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies involving 4,361,141 participants

Abstract: One of the most common extracranial solid tumors in childhood is neuroblastoma. In this study, it wasaimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the risk of neuroblastoma in both high and lowbirth weights. The PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines were followed during the design, analysis, and reporting of thisstudy. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken for the published papers in Embase, PubMed/Medline,Scopus, and the Web of Science (WoS) databases. The odds ratio (OR) of neuroblastoma in high and low birth weightgroups, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated using the random-effects and fixed-effects models. Atotal of 16 papers and 4,361,141 participants were included in this study. When the random-effects model and thefixed-effects model were used, high birth weight was associated with an increased risk of neuroblastoma (OR = 1.17;95% CI: 1.06-1.29, P = 0.002; heterogeneity: Chi2 = 2.33, df = 15, I2 = 0%, P>0.05). Similarly, it was observed thatindividuals with low birth weights may also face an increased risk of developing neuroblastoma later in life (OR =1.19; 95% CI: 1.03-1.37, P = 0.017; heterogeneity: Chi2 = 16.93, df = 15, I2 = 0%, P = 0.323). In conclusion, bothhigh and low birth weight in individuals may be among the important risk factors for neuroblastoma development.