title: A meta-analysis of parental smoking and the risk of childhood brain tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies regarding the association between parental smoking and the risk of childhood brain tumors (CBT) have reported inconsistent results. We performed a meta-analysis to summarize evidence on this association and to quantify the potential dose-response relationship.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic literature search was conducted in the Medline and Embase databases. The summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Dose-response meta-analysis was also performed for studies that reported categorical risk estimates for a series of smoking exposure levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 17 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the meta-analyses, the summary RRs (95% CIs) of CBT for maternal smoking during pregnancy, paternal smoking during pregnancy, maternal smoking before pregnancy, and paternal smoking before pregnancy were 0.96 (0.86-1.07), 1.09 (0.97-1.22), 0.93 (0.85-1.00), and 1.09 (1.00-1.20), respectively. Dose-response meta-analysis also showed no significant association between parental smoking and the risk of CBT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from our meta-analysis indicate that parental smoking may not be associated with a risk of CBT.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
authors: Jianrong
authors: J
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
authors: Huan
authors: H
authors: Lan
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
authors: GuanYan
authors: G
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Guangxi Minzu Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
authors: ChunZhen
authors: C
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000473:pathology; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology