Prenatal stress and risk of febrile seizures in children: a nationwide longitudinal study in Denmark.
We aimed to examine whether exposure to prenatal stress following maternal bereavement is associated with an increased risk of febrile seizures. In a longitudinal population-based cohort study, we followed 1,431,175 children born in Denmark. A total of 34,777 children were born to women who lost a close relative during pregnancy or within 1 year before the pregnancy and they were included in the exposed group. The exposed children had a risk of febrile seizures similar to that of the unexposed children (hazard ratio (HR) 1.00, 95% CI 0.94-1.06). The HRs did not differ according to the nature or timing of bereavement. Our data do not suggest any causal link between exposure to prenatal stress and febrile seizures in childhood.
Li
Jiong
J
The Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, The University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, 8000 Arhus C, Denmark. jl@soci.au.dk
Olsen
Jørn
J
Obel
Carsten
C
Christensen
Jakob
J
Precht
Dorthe Hansen
DH
Vestergaard
Mogens
M
D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000523:psychology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D003294:Seizures, Febrile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology