BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 

• Limited knowledge regarding risk factors for CNS tumors among children
  • A few studies have assessed the link between maternal hormonal contraception and offspring CNS tumors, but data are conflicting  
• Hargreave et al. (JAMA, 2022) examined the association between maternal hormonal contraception use and CNS tumors in children (<20 years) 

METHODS: 

• Nationwide cohort study 
• Population 
  • Children born in Denmark between between January, 1996, and December, 2014 
• Exposures 
  • Maternal hormonal contraception  
• Study design 
  • Maternal hormonal contraception  
    • Any use 
    • Regimen: Combined/progestin only 
    • Route of administration: Oral/nonoral  
  • Timing 
    • Recent use (≤3 months before start and during pregnancy)  
    • Previous use (>3 months before start of pregnancy)   
  • Primary Outcome Assessment   
    • Hazard ratio  
    • Incidence rate difference 
• Primary Outcome 
  • CNS tumors diagnosed at younger than 20 years 

RESULTS: 

• 1,185,063 children born during study period 
  • 15,335,990 person-years of follow-up | Mean follow-up 12.9 years 
• Total CNS tumors diagnosed in children: 725 
  • Mean age at diagnosis: 7 years 
  • 47.2% of those diagnosed were female 
• Adjusted incidence rates of CNS tumors 
  • Children born to mothers with recent hormonal contraception use 
    • 5.0 per 100,000 person-years 
  • Children born to mothers with previous use 
    • 4.5 per 100,000 person-years 
  • Children born to mothers with no use 
    • 5.3 per 100,000 person-years 
• Hazard ratios (HR) and incidence rate differences vs no use 
  • Children born to mothers with recent hormonal contraception use 
    • HR 0.95 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.23) 
    • Incidence rate difference −0.3 (95% CI, −1.6 to 1.0) 
  • Children born to mothers with previous use 
    • HR 0.86 (95% CI, 0.72 to 1.02) 
    • Incidence rate difference  
• No statistically significant associations were found for recent or previous use of any hormonal contraception examined vs no use  
  • Oral combined | Nonoral combined | Oral progestin only | Nonoral products  

CONCLUSION: 

There is no significant link between maternal hormonal contraception use and risk of childhood CNS tumors 

Learn More – Primary Sources: 

Association Between Maternal Hormonal Contraception Use and Central Nervous System Tumors in Children 

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