A team of researchers from the University of North Carolina (United States) set out to investigate the impact of anti-cancer treatments and chemotherapy on future pregnancies. To do this, they studied the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with cancer when they were between the ages of 15 and 39, during the period 2000 to 2013.
They looked at the health outcomes of the firstborn children of these mothers. A total of 2,500 babies born to cancer survivors were assessed.
Premature babies often with low birth weight
The researchers found that children born to cancer survivors are more likely to come into the world prematurely, or before 37 weeks of amenorrhea (13% of births instead of 9% in women who did not have cancer).
The study also showed that these babies were more likely to have low birth weight and to be born by cesarean section. And when the data was broken down into types of treatment, scientists found that women who had chemotherapy were more likely to give birth preterm and, to a lesser extent, to need a cesarean section.
“But one of the most interesting findings in our study is that we have identified thousands of women who may have had children after being diagnosed and treated for cancer.” insists Professor Hazel Nichols, main author of the study.
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