ArticleEvidence-based mental health2022
Caesarean section and its relationship to offspring general cognitive ability: a registry-based cohort study of half a million young male adults.
Article in Evidence-based mental health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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3 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cesarean Section, Childhood Health, and Schooling: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From Denmark, Norway and Sweden.Health economics · 2025Article
- Fucosylated Human Milk Oligosaccharides during the First 12 Postnatal Weeks Are Associated with Better Executive Functions in Toddlers.Nutrients · 2023Article
- The Swedish military conscription register: opportunities for its use in medical research.European journal of epidemiology · 2022Review
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8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA relationship between caesarean section and offspring cognitive ability has been described, but data are limited, and a large-scale study is needed.
objectiveTo determine the relationship between mode of delivery and general cognitive ability.
methodsA cohort of 579 244 singleton males, born between 1973 and 1987 who conscripted before 2006, were identified using the Swedish population-based registries. Their mode of delivery was obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth registry. The outcome measure was a normalised general cognitive test battery (mean 100, SD 15) performed at military conscription at around age 18.
findingsMales born by caesarean section performed poorer compared with those born vaginally (mean score 99.3 vs 100.1; adjusted mean difference -0.84; 95% CI -0.97 to -0.72; p<0.001). Both those born by elective (99.3 vs 100.2; -0.92; 95% CI -1.24 to -0.60; p<0.001) and non-elective caesarean section (99.2 vs 100.2; -1.03; 95% CI -1.34 to -0.72; p=0.001), performed poorer than those born vaginally. In sibling analyses, the association was attenuated to the null (100.9 vs 100.8; 0.07; 95% CI -0.31 to 0.45; p=0.712). Similarly, neither elective nor non-elective caesarean section were associated with general cognitive ability in sibling analyses.
conclusionBirth by caesarean section is weakly associated with a lower general cognitive ability in young adult males. However, the magnitude of this association is not clinically relevant and seems to be largely explained by familial factors shared between siblings. CLINICAL IMPLICATION: Clinicians and gravidas ought not to be concerned that the choice of mode of delivery will impact offspring cognitive ability.
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