Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27824869›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2016

Maternal Smoking and the Risk of Cancer in Early Life - A Meta-Analysis.

Isabell Katharina Rumrich, Matti Viluksela, Kirsi Vähäkangas, Mika Gissler, Heljä-Marja Surcel, Otto Hänninen

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  10. Environmental Hazards and Glial Brain Tumors: Association or Causation?International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
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  19. Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Isabell Katharina RumrichDepartment of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Matti VilukselaDepartment of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Kirsi VähäkangasSchool of Pharmacy/Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Finland.
Mika GisslerDepartment of Information Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland and Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Heljä-Marja SurcelDepartment of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Oulu, Finland.
Otto HänninenDepartment of Health Protection, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn spite of the well-known harmful effects on the fetus, many women continue smoking during pregnancy. Smoking as an important source of toxic chemicals may contribute to the developmental origin of diseases.

objectivesThe aim of this work was to pursue the possible association between maternal smoking and cancer in early life. Specifically, we wanted to identify the associated early life cancer types, and to quantify the associations.

methodsIn a systematic literature search 825 articles were identified in PubMed and Web of Science, and 55 more through the reference lists. Of these 62 fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in meta-analyses. Using Mantel-Haenszel or DerSimonian and Laird method, depending on heterogeneity of the studies, pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals for eight cancer types were calculated.

resultsSmoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk for for brain and central nervous system tumors (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.17). Although the risk for lymphoma was also associated (OR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.05-1.34), it did not hold up in subgroup analyses. Leukemia was not found to be associated with maternal smoking. Five other cancer types (bone, soft tissue, renal, hepatic, and germ cell cancer) were also examined, but the number of studies was too limited to exclude the possibility of maternal smoking as a risk factor for cancer in offspring.

conclusionsAccording to our meta-analyses, maternal smoking is associated with nervous system cancers, but not with leukemia in early life. Confirming or rejecting associations of maternal smoking with lymphoma and the five other cancer types requires further studies.

Indexed as

FemaleHumansLifeNeoplasmsPregnancyPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsRisk FactorsSmoking

Identifiers

PMID27824869
PMCPMC5100920

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.