title: Birth characteristics and risk of lymphoma in young children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lymphoma is the third most common childhood malignancy and comprises two types, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The etiology of pediatric lymphomas is largely unknown, but has been suggested to have prenatal origins.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this population-based study, California birth certificates were identified for 478 lymphoma cases diagnosed in children 0-5 years of age between 1988 and 2007; 208,015 controls frequency-matched by birth year were randomly selected from California birth records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic children had an increased risk of HL (odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.43 [1.14, 5.17]), and in particular, were diagnosed more often with the mixed cellularity subtype. For all types of lymphoma, we observed an about twofold risk increase with indicators for high risk pregnancies including tocolysis, fetopelvic disproportion and previous preterm birth. NHL risk doubled with the complication premature rupture of membranes (OR and 95% CI 2.18 [1.12, 4.25]) and HL with meconium staining of amniotic fluids (OR and 95% CI 2.55 [1.01, 6.43]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support previously reported associations between Hispanic ethnicity and HL and suggest that pregnancy related factors, such as intra-uterine infections and factors associated with preterm labor, may be involved in lymphoma pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951772, 650 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA.
authors.forename: Erin L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Marcotte
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951772, 650 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ritz
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, MC 9175, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9175, USA.
authors.forename: Myles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cockburn
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Institute of California, 2201 Walnut Avenue, Suite 300, Fremont, CA 94538-2334, USA.
authors.forename: Christina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 951772, 650 Charles E. Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. Electronic address: jeheck@ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Children; Epidemiology; Hispanics; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; Pregnancy