Maternal alcohol and coffee drinking, parental smoking and childhood leukaemia: a French population‐based case–control study

Abstract

Summary We investigated the role of maternal alcohol and coffee drinking during pregnancy and that of parental smoking in the aetiology of childhood leukaemia. A French, population‐based, case–control study was conducted, comparing 472 [407 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 62 acute myeloblastic leukaemia] cases of childhood acute leukaemia (AL) and 567 population controls, frequency‐matched with cases on age, gender and region of residence. Both case and control mothers filled in a comprehensive self‐administered standardised questionnaire, eliciting detailed data on maternal alcohol and coffee consumption during pregnancy and parental smoking before, during and after pregnancy. Maternal alcohol consumption of more than 1 drink per day was related to ALL (OR = 2.8 [95% CI 1.8, 5.9]). While maternal coffee consumption was not significantly related to AL (OR = 1.4 [95% CI 0.9, 2.3]), highest intake of coffee (more than 3 cups per day) during pregnancy was associated with AL in children whose mothers were non‐smokers (OR = 1.9 [95% CI 1.0, 3.5]). No association with parental smoking, either maternal or paternal, was observed with AL. The present results suggest a possible role of the highest consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy in the aetiology of childhood AL.

Maternal Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy and Risk of Childhood Leukemia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Participation rates, mentioned only in recent studies, were above 80% in three studies (32,35,39) and below 50% in two studies (25,37). In six studies, they were lower in controls than in cases (32,37,38,(40)(41)(42).…”

“…In seven of these, only acute leukemia was investigated (25,28,33,34,36,38,40), in three studies (26,30,39), a small percentage of other leukemias were also included, and in two studies (27,31), the leukemia type was not specified. Overall, the proportion of cases with ALL in these studies ranged from 36% to 89%.…”

“…Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy was assessed by interview in all but three studies (22,24,38) that used self-administered questionnaires. One third of the studies were focused on other risk factors and provided limited data on alcohol consumption (22, 29-31, 36, 37, 39).…”

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke

“…maternal smoking during breastfeeding or after, paternal smoking after birth, other smokers at home), except for an increased risk of acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia with paternal smoking. In a later study, (Menegaux et al, 2007) reported no association between acute and parental smoking, by subtype (acute myeloid leukaemia or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) or by time of exposure, with the exception of an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy. Chang et al (2006) reported no risk for acute leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute myeloid leukaemia associated with maternal smoking either by period of smoking (preconception, during pregnancy, post-natally) or by amount smoked.…”

The Epidemiology of Childhood Cancers

“…1,3,4,110,111 Another study found a decreased risk of ALL associated with maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, but an increased risk associated with interaction between parental alcohol consumption and certain genetic polymorphisms. 112 An increased risk of CNS tumours has been associated with paternal use of alcohol prior to conception.…”