Disease in the mother and the risk of leukemia in children

Summary

Our research question is related to diseases in the mother during pregnancy based on an assumption that the causes of leukemia are already present in the fetus.

Abstract:

This is a study to understand the causes of leukemia in children. Leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children and is showing increasing frequency. Today we cannot prevent leukemia because we know little about the causes. Our research question is related to diseases in the mother during pregnancy based on an assumption that the causes of leukemia are present already in the fetus. Many women today are delaying having children and therefore have diseases during pregnancy more often than before. These include obesity, diabetes and asthma. By collaborating with the Nordic countries and by linking national birth and cancer registries, we will establish a sample of 8.8 million mother-child pairs. The project is led by the University of Aarhus and has received a grant from the Nordic Cancer Union.