title: Analysis of maternal risk factors associated with congenital vertebral malformations.
abstract: METHODS
  A retrospective medical record review of cases with congenital vertebral malformations (CVMs) and controls with normal spine morphology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relative contribution of maternal environmental factors (MEFs) during pregnancy to CVM development.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  CVMs represent defects in formation and segmentation of somites occurring with an estimated incidence of between 0.13 and 0.50 per 1000 live births. CVMs may be associated with various phenotypes and represent significant morbidity due to pain and cosmetic disfigurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter retrospective medical record review of 229 cases with CVM and 267 controls with normal spine morphology between the ages of 1 and 50 years was performed to obtain the odds ratio (OR) of MEF related to CVM among cases versus controls. An imputation-based analysis was performed in which subjects with no documentation of MEF history were treated as "no maternal exposure." Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to calculate the OR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 229 total cases, 104 cases had single or multiple CVMs without additional congenital malformations (group 1) and 125 cases had single or multiple CVMs and additional congenital malformations (group 2). Nineteen percent of total cases had an identified MEF. The OR for MEF history for group 1 was 6.0 (95% confidence interval, 2.4-15.1; P < 0.001) in the univariate analysis. The OR for MEF history in group 2 was 9.1 (95% confidence interval, 3.8-21.6, P < 0.001) in the univariate analysis. The results were confirmed in the multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, sex, and institution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support a hypothesis for an association between these MEFs during pregnancy and CVM and have implications for development of prevention strategies. Further prospective studies are needed to quantify association between CVMs and specific MEF.
  
  
  METHODS
  4.
authors: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Hesemann
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Lauer
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Ziska
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Noonan
authors: Blaise
authors: B
authors: Nemeth
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Scott-Schwoerer
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: McCarty
authors: Kristen
authors: K
authors: Rasmussen
authors: Jacob M
authors: JM
authors: Goldberg
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Sund
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Eickhoff
authors: Cathleen L
authors: CL
authors: Raggio
authors: Philip F
authors: PF
authors: Giampietro
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000009:adverse effects; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020379:Risk Adjustment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014481:United States; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002996:Clomiphene; D014635:Valproic Acid