Investigation of assisted reproductive techniques as ethological factor in childhood cancers

INTRODUCTION: Assisted reproductive technologies are known to be a risk factor for perinatal complications and congenital malformations in children. In vitro fertilization has been associated with multiple gestations and possible congenital malformations however in the literatüre here is no significant correlational association between pediatric cancer and assisted reproductive technologies. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to determine the role of possible risk factors for assisted reproductive techniques in childhood malignancies and to asses he correlation between perinatal and maternal factors. METHODS: In this study, 300 patients between the ages of 0-18 years who were a admitted to the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology of Istanbul Medical Faculty in Istanbul University between 2000-2019 and 300 healthy children between 0-14 years of age who were admitted to İstanbul University Social Pediatrics Department, Pediatric Outpatient Clinic during the period of May-June 2018 are included. Clinical and sociodemographic data of patients were registered through the interwievs with the families from file reviews and family questionnaires. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the control and case groups when compared with spontaneous pregnancy with ART (p=0.008). On the other hand there are significant differences case and control groups in consanguinity, family cancer history, maternal age, gestational week, delivery type, maternal total pregnancy number, maternal smoking / alcohol use, and presence of problems during pregnancy. When assisted reproductive techniques and spontaneous births in the case group are compared a significant difference was found between diagnosis age, maternal age, gestational week, birth weight, mode of delivery, neonatal intensive care unit requirement and total number of pregnancies. CONCLUSION: Our results has shown that birth after using assisted reproductive techniques is not a possible risk factor for cancer in children. In the analysis in which children with cancer who are born with ART were compared with spontaneous births, advanced maternal age, low gestational week and birth weight findings were found to be significantly different. This evidence supports the fact that the causes of cancer in children born with ART should be associated with additional risk factors that cause infertility rather than the reproductive techniques that are being used.