Primal Health Databank: Study
| Entry No: | 0159 |
| Title: | Childhood cancer, intramuscular vitamin K and pethidine given during labour |
| Author(s): | Golding J, Greenwood R, et al. |
| Reference: | BMJ 1992; 305: 341-6 |
| Place of Study: | Bristol, England |
| Abstract: | The authors studied 195 children with cancer diagnosed between 1971 and 1991 and born in the two major Bristol maternity hospitals in 1965-87. There were 558 controls. Children of mothers given pethidine in labour were not at increased risk of cancer (odds ratio 1.05). After allowing for year and hospital of delivery there was a significant association (p=0.002) with intramuscular vitamin K (odds ratio 1.97) when compared with oral vitamin K or no vitamin K. There was no significant increased risk for children who were given oral vitamin K compared to no vitamin K. These results could not be accounted for by other factors associated with administration of intramuscular vitamin K such as type of delivery or admission to a special care baby unit. |
| Keyword(s): | cancer in childhood, pethidine, vitamin K |
| Discussion: | This study completes study 0158. Such correlations were not found in studies outside the UK. The intriguing gap between the results of the UK studies and the others point to confounding factors. What is special to the UK? When reading in detail the UK studies it appears that the parent's choice of whether or not to inject vitamin K might have been prevalent. In other studies, and in particular the large Swedish study (0160) it is clear that it was according to the policy of the hospital that the children were given vitamin K either by injection or orally. It is possible that parents who decline the injection are also those who have had a tendency to reconsider the principle of early multiple vaccinations. In other words the priority should be to compare the children according to the vaccination they were given. It is noticeable that in the Danish study (0163) the risk of cancer is higher among the children born after 1975 than among the children born before 1969: it is of note that the list of routine vaccinations was longer after 1975. |
| See Also: | No related entries mentioned for this entry |
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