Illicit drug, substance use during pregnancy linked to risk of malignancies in offspring

Pregnant moms who use tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine may be putting their babies at risk of several types of cancer, including nonglioma central nervous system tumours and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as shown in a study.

For the study, researchers conducted a survey wherein 3,145 parents (92 percent were biological mothers) of children with cancer completed questionnaires regarding maternal gestational use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Demographic, perinatal, and clinical data were also obtained.

Multivariable log-Poisson regression was used to analyse the differences in frequency of prenatal substance use across 15 childhood cancer subtypes. The models were adjusted for birthweight, gestational age, and demographic factors.

Of the respondents, 14 percent reported gestational use of tobacco products, 4 percent reported gestational use of illicit drugs including marijuana and cocaine, and 2 percent reported gestational use of more than a moderate amount of alcohol.

Illicit drug use during pregnancy was associated with increased prevalence of retinoblastoma (prevalence ratio [PR], 3.1, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.20–8.08) and intracranial embryonal tumours (PR, 1.94, 95 percent CI, 1.05–3.58), including medulloblastoma (PR, 1.82) and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumours (PR, 2.66).

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy was linked to elevated prevalence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PR, 5.94, 95 percent CI, 1.84–19.21).

Prenatal smoking showed no association with childhood cancer subtypes.

The findings have important public health implications, given that gestational cannabis use has risen, according to the researchers.