Infertility Treatment and Umbilical Cord Length–Novel Markers of Childhood Epilepsy?

Abstract

BackgroundEpilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders of childhood, affecting about 0.4−0.8% of all children up to the age of 20.MethodologyA population-based retrospective cohort study. Aim was to determine incidence and identify perinatal and reproductive risk factors of epilepsy in children born between 1989 and 2008 among women (n = 43,389) delivered in Kuopio University Hospital. Risk factors of childhood epilepsy were determined by using logistic regression analysis.Principal FindingsThe incidence of childhood epilepsy was 0.7% (n = 302 of 43,389). Maternal epilepsy, major congenital anomalies and use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) were associated with 4.25-, 3.61-, and 1.67- fold increased incidence of childhood epilepsy. A 10 cm increase in umbilical cord length was associated with a 15% decrease in the incidence of epilepsy (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.78−0.94). However, the above reproductive factors accounted for less than 2% of total incidence, whereas maternal epilepsy proved to be the highest risk factor.ConclusionsPerinatal and reproductive factors were shown to be minor risk factors of childhood epilepsy, implying that little can be done in obstetric care to prevent childhood epilepsy. Infertility treatment and umbilical cord length, independent of gestational age and congenital malformations, may be novel markers of childhood epilepsy.

Etiology, syndrome diagnosis, and cognition in childhood‐onset epilepsy: A population‐based study

“…The aim for our study was to evaluate the prevalence of various etiologies of epilepsies and epilepsy syndromes and to estimate cognitive function in a population‐based birth registry. In previous work, we have published an evaluation of perinatal and reproductive risk factors for childhood epilepsy in this cohort …”

“…In previous work, we have published an evaluation of perinatal and reproductive risk factors for childhood epilepsy in this cohort. 26…”

Parental Infertility, Fertility Treatment, and Childhood Epilepsy: A Population‐Based Cohort Study

“…However, the results were not adjusted for important potential confounders including maternal history of epilepsy and maternal education. The association between ART and childhood epilepsy was confirmed in a recent study by Räisänen et al ,. whereas Klemetti et al .…”

“…8 However, the results were not adjusted for important potential confounders including maternal history of epilepsy and maternal education. The association between ART and childhood epilepsy was confirmed in a recent study by R€ ais€ anen et al 21 , whereas Klemetti et al only showed a slight tendency towards an association with IVF or ovulation induction. 22,23 The studies did not include information on the infertile parents with no treatment, and none of the previous studies investigated infertility as a continuous measure or assessed the association with various types of epilepsy.…”

Fertility Treatment and Childhood Epilepsy

“…However, these children were only followed until the age of two years 35,36 . Additionally, a cohort study aiming to identify risk factors of childhood epilepsy showed an association with assisted reproductive technology 37 . However, these studies did not account sufficiently for potential confounders, including parental infertility.…”