Use of fertility drugs linked to leukaemia

Tuesday 24 April 2012

FERTILITY drugs can more than double the chances of children born to mothers who struggle to get pregnant developing leukaemia, a study has shown.

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Children were 2.6 times more likely to become ill with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood leukaemia, if their mothers had been treated with ovary-stimulating drugs. They had a 2.3-fold increased risk of suffering acute myeloid leukaemia.

Children conceived naturally after their mothers waited more than a year to get pregnant had a 50% greater-than-normal likelihood of developing ALL. However, no heightened risk of childhood leukaemia was associated either with in-vitro fertilisation or artificial insemination.Study leader Dr Jeremie Rudant, from the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in Paris, said: "More research is needed to investigate the link between specific types of fertility drugs and what role the underlying causes of infertility may play in the potential development of childhood leukaemia."

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Use of fertility drugs linked to leukaemia

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