| 1. |
- Calvert, Clara, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-3374. ; 7:4, s. 529-544
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Changes in PTB rates, ranging from -90% to +30%, were reported in many countries following early COVID-19 pandemic response measures ('lockdowns'). It is unclear whether this variation reflects real differences in lockdown impacts, or perhaps differences in stillbirth rates and/or study designs. Here we present interrupted time series and meta-analyses using harmonized data from 52 million births in 26 countries, 18 of which had representative population-based data, with overall PTB rates ranging from 6% to 12% and stillbirth ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 per 1,000 births. We show small reductions in PTB in the first (odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98, P value <0.0001), second (0.96, 0.92-0.99, 0.03) and third (0.97, 0.94-1.00, 0.09) months of lockdown, but not in the fourth month of lockdown (0.99, 0.96-1.01, 0.34), although there were some between-country differences after the first month. For high-income countries in this study, we did not observe an association between lockdown and stillbirths in the second (1.00, 0.88-1.14, 0.98), third (0.99, 0.88-1.12, 0.89) and fourth (1.01, 0.87-1.18, 0.86) months of lockdown, although we have imprecise estimates due to stillbirths being a relatively rare event. We did, however, find evidence of increased risk of stillbirth in the first month of lockdown in high-income countries (1.14, 1.02-1.29, 0.02) and, in Brazil, we found evidence for an association between lockdown and stillbirth in the second (1.09, 1.03-1.15, 0.002), third (1.10, 1.03-1.17, 0.003) and fourth (1.12, 1.05-1.19, <0.001) months of lockdown. With an estimated 14.8 million PTB annually worldwide, the modest reductions observed during early pandemic lockdowns translate into large numbers of PTB averted globally and warrant further research into causal pathways.
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| 2. |
- Gissler, M, et al.
(författare)
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Terminations of pregnancy in the European Union.
- 2012
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Ingår i: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : Wiley. - 1470-0328 .- 1471-0528. ; 119:3, s. 324-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study the current legislation and trends in terminations of pregnancy in the European Union (EU).DESIGN: Data were collected on legislation and statistics for terminations of pregnancy.SETTING: Population-based statistics from the EU member states.POPULATION: Women in reproductive age in the 27 EU member states.METHODS: Information on legislation was collected for all 27 EU member states. Statistical information until 2008 was compiled from international (n = 24) and national sources (n = 17). Statistical data were not available for Austria, Cyprus and Luxembourg.MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Terminations of pregnancy per 1000 women aged 15-49 years.RESULTS: Ireland, Malta and Poland have restrictive legislation. Luxembourg permits termination of pregnancy on physical and mental health indications; Cyprus, Finland, and the UK further include socio-economic indications. In all other EU member states termination of pregnancy can be performed in early pregnancy on a women's request. In general, the rates of termination of pregnancy have declined in recent years. In total, 10.3 terminations were reported per 1000 women aged 15-49 years in the EU in 2008. The rate was 12.3/1000 for countries requiring a legal indication for termination, and 11.0/1000 for countries allowing termination on request. Northern Europe (10.9/1000) and Central and Eastern Europe (10.8/1000) had higher rates than Southern Europe (8.9/1000). Northern Europe, however, had substantially higher rates of termination of pregnancy among teenagers.CONCLUSION: A more consistent and coherent reporting of terminations of pregnancy is needed in the EU. The large variation of termination rates between countries suggests that termination of pregnancy rates may be reduced in some countries without restricting women's access to termination. Sexual education and provision of access to reliable and affordable contraception are essential to achieve low rates of termination of pregnancy.
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| 3. |
- Obel, C., et al.
(författare)
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Is maternal smoking during pregnancy a risk factor for Hyperkinetic disorder? : Findings from a sibling design
- 2011
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 40:2, s. 338-345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Studies have consistently shown that pregnancy smoking is associated with twice the risk of hyperactivity/inattention problems in the offspring. An association of this magnitude may indicate behavioural difficulties as one of the most important health effects related to smoking during pregnancy. However, social and genetic confounders may fully or partially account for these findings. Methods A cohort including all singletons born in Finland from 1 January 1987 through 31 December 2001 was followed until 1 January 2006 based on linkage of national registers. Data were available for 97% (N = 868 449) of the population. We followed singleton children of smoking and non-smoking mothers until they had an International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) or to the end of the observation period. We used sibling-matched Cox regression analyses to control for social and genetic confounding. Results We found a much smaller association between exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk of HKD in children using the sibling-matched analysis [hazards ratio (HR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.49] than was observed in the entire cohort (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.90-2.12). Conclusions Our findings suggest that the strong association found in previous studies may be due to time-stable familial factors, such as environmental and genetic factors. If smoking is a causal factor, the effect is small and less important than what the previous studies indicate.
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| 4. |
- Troisi, R., et al.
(författare)
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The role of pregnancy, perinatal factors and hormones in maternal cancer risk : a review of the evidence
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 283:5, s. 430-445
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An understanding of the origin of cancer is critical for cancer prevention and treatment. Complex biological mechanisms promote carcinogenesis, and there is increasing evidence that pregnancy related exposures influence foetal growth cell division and organ functioning and may have a longlasting impact on health and disease susceptibility in the mothers and offspring. Nulliparity is an established risk factor for breast, ovarian, endometrial and possibly pancreatic cancer, whilst the risk of kidney cancer is elevated in parous compared with nulliparous women. For breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer, each pregnancy provides an additional risk reduction. The associations of parity with thyroid and colorectal cancers are uncertain. The timing of reproductive events is also recognized to be important. Older age at first birth is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and older age at last birth is associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer. The risks of breast and endometrial cancers increase with younger age at menarche and older age at menopause. The mechanisms, and hormone profiles, that underlie alterations in maternal cancer risk are not fully understood and may differ by malignancy. Linking health registries and pooling of data in the Nordic countries have provided opportunities to conduct epidemiologic research of pregnancy exposures and subsequent cancer. We review the maternal risk of several malignancies, including those with a well-known hormonal aetiology and those with less established relationships. The tendency for women to have fewer pregnancies and at later ages, together with the age-dependent increase in the incidence of most malignancies, is expected to affect the incidence of pregnancy-associated cancer.
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| 5. |
- Bouvier-Colle, M-H, et al.
(författare)
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What about the mothers? An analysis of maternal mortality and morbidity in perinatal health surveillance systems in Europe.
- 2012
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Ingår i: British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. - : Wiley. - 1470-0328 .- 1471-0528. ; 119:7, s. 880-9; discussion 890
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To assess capacity to develop routine monitoring of maternal health in the European Union using indicators of maternal mortality and severe morbidity.DESIGN: Analysis of aggregate data from routine statistical systems compiled by the EURO-PERISTAT project and comparison with data from national enquiries.SETTING: Twenty-five countries in the European Union and Norway.POPULATION: Women giving birth in participating countries in 2003 and 2004.METHODS: Application of a common collection of data by selecting specific International Classification of Disease codes from the 'Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium' chapter. External validity was assessed by reviewing the results of national confidential enquiries and linkage studies.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal mortality ratio, with distribution of specific obstetric causes, and severe acute maternal morbidity, which included: eclampsia, surgery and blood transfusion for obstetric haemorrhage, and intensive-care unit admission.RESULTS: In 22 countries that provided data, the maternal mortality ratio was 6.3 per 100,000 live births overall and ranged from 0 to 29.6. Under-ascertainment was evident from comparisons with studies that use enhanced identification of deaths. Furthermore, routine cause of death registration systems in countries with specific systems for audit reported higher maternal mortality ratio than those in countries without audits. For severe acute maternal morbidity, 16 countries provided data about at least one category of morbidity, and only three provided data for all categories. Reported values ranged widely (from 0.2 to 1.6 women with eclampsia per 1000 women giving birth and from 0.2 to 1.0 hysterectomies per 1000 women).CONCLUSIONS: Currently available data on maternal mortality and morbidity are insufficient for monitoring trends over time in Europe and for comparison between countries. Confidential enquiries into maternal deaths are recommended.
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| 6. |
- Liu, A., et al.
(författare)
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Evidence from Finland and Sweden on the relationship between early-life diseases and lifetime childlessness in men and women
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2397-3374.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The percentage of people without children over their lifetime is approximately 25% in men and 20% in women. Individual diseases have been linked to childlessness, mostly in women, yet we lack a comprehensive picture of the effect of early-life diseases on lifetime childlessness. We examined all individuals born in 1956-1968 (men) and 1956-1973 (women) in Finland (n = 1,035,928) and Sweden (n = 1,509,092) to the completion of their reproductive lifespan in 2018. Leveraging nationwide registers, we associated sociodemographic and reproductive information with 414 diseases across 16 categories, using a population and matched-pair case-control design of siblings discordant for childlessness (71,524 full sisters and 77,622 full brothers). The strongest associations were mental-behavioural disorders (particularly among men), congenital anomalies and endocrine-nutritional-metabolic disorders (strongest among women). We identified new associations for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Associations were dependent on age at onset and mediated by singlehood and education. This evidence can be used to understand how disease contributes to involuntary childlessness.
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| 7. |
- Kitahara, Cari M., et al.
(författare)
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Maternal health, in-utero, and perinatal exposures and risk of thyroid cancer in offspring : a Nordic population-based nested case-control study
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. - : Elsevier. - 2213-8587 .- 2213-8595. ; 9:2, s. 94-105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Thyroid cancer tends to be diagnosed at a younger age (median age 51 years) compared with most other malignancies (such as breast cancer [62 years] or lung cancer [71 years]). The incidence of thyroid cancer is higher in women than men diagnosed from early adolescence. However, few in-utero and early life risk exposures associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer have been identified. Methods In this population-based nested case-control study we used registry data from four Nordic countries to assess thyroid cancer risk in offspring in relation to maternal medical history, pregnancy complications, and birth characteristics. Patient with thyroid cancer (cases) were individuals born and subsequently diagnosed with first primary thyroid cancer from 1973 to 2013 in Denmark, 1987 to 2014 in Finland, 1967 to 2015 in Norway, or 1973 to 2014 in Sweden. Each case was matched with up to ten individuals without thyroid cancer (controls) based on birth year, sex, country, and county of birth. Cases and matched controls with a previous diagnosis of any cancer, other than non-melanoma skin cancer, at the time of thyroid cancer diagnosis were excluded. Cases and matched controls had to reside in the country of birth at the time of thyroid cancer diagnosis. Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs. Findings Of the 2437 cases, 1967 (81.4%) had papillary carcinomas, 1880 (77.1%) were women, and 1384 (56.7%) were diagnosed before age 30 years (range 0-48). Higher birth weight (OR per kg 1.14 [95% CI 1.05-1.23]) and congenital hypothyroidism (4.55 [1.58-13.08]); maternal diabetes before pregnancy (OR 1.69 [0.98-2.93]) and postpartum haemorrhage (OR 1.28 [1.06-1.55]); and (from registry data in Denmark) maternal hypothyroidism (18.12 [10.52-31.20]), hyperthyroidism (11.91 [6.77-20.94]), goiter (67.36 [39.89-113.76]), and benign thyroid neoplasms (22.50 [6.93-73.06]) were each associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer in offspring. Interpretation In-utero exposures, particularly those related to maternal thyroid disorders, might have a long-term influence on thyroid cancer risk in offspring.
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| 8. |
- Kitahara, Cari M., et al.
(författare)
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Maternal Health, Pregnancy and Offspring Factors, and Maternal Thyroid Cancer Risk : A Nordic Population-Based Registry Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: American Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 192:1, s. 70-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thyroid cancer incidence is higher in women than men, especially during the reproductive years, for reasons that remain poorly understood. Using population-based registry data from 4 Nordic countries through 2015, we examined associations of perinatal characteristics with risk of maternal thyroid cancer. Cases were women diagnosed with thyroid cancer >= 2 years after last birth (n = 7,425, 83% papillary). Cases were matched to controls (n = 67,903) by mother's birth year, country, and county of residence. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models adjusting for parity. Older age at first pregnancy, postpartum hemorrhage (OR = 1.18, 95% (confidence interval) CI: 1.08, 1.29), and benign thyroid conditions (ORs ranging from 1.64 for hypothyroidism to 10.35 for thyroid neoplasms) were associated with increased thyroid cancer risk, as were higher offspring birth weight (per 1-kg increase, OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.22) and higher likelihood of offspring being large for gestational age (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.43). Unmarried/noncohabiting status (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.98), maternal smoking (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.84), and preterm birth (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.98) were associated with reduced risk. Several factors (e.g., older age at first pregnancy, maternal smoking, goiter, benign neoplasms, postpartum hemorrhage, hyperemesis gravidarum, and neonatal jaundice) were associated with advanced thyroid cancer. These findings suggest that some perinatal exposures may influence maternal thyroid cancer risk.
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| 9. |
- Wedenoja, Satu, et al.
(författare)
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Fetal HLA-G mediated immune tolerance and interferon response in preeclampsia
- 2020
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Ingår i: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-3964. ; 59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Fetal immune tolerance is crucial for pregnancy success. We studied the link between preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy disorder with uncertain pathogenesis, and fetal human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) and other genes regulating maternal immune responses.Methods: We assessed sex ratios and regulatory HLA-G haplotypes in population cohorts and series of preeclampsia and stillbirth. We studied placental mRNA expression of 136 genes by sequencing and HLA-G and interferon alpha (IFNα) protein expression by immunohistochemistry.Findings: We found underrepresentation of males in preeclamptic births, especially those delivered preterm or small for gestational age. Balancing selection at HLA-G associated with the sex ratio, stillbirth, and preeclampsia. We observed downregulation of HLA-G, its receptors, and many other tolerogenic genes, and marked upregulation of IFNA1 in preeclamptic placentas.Interpretation: These findings indicate that an evolutionary trade-off between immune tolerance and protection against infections at the maternal-fetal interface promotes genetic diversity in fetal HLA-G, thereby affecting survival, preeclampsia, and sex ratio. We highlight IFNA1 as a potential mediator of preeclampsia and a target for therapeutic trials.
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