Study Reveals Planned C-Sections Linked to Higher Leukemia Risk in Children

A recent study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet suggests a potential link between planned caesarean sections and an increased risk of childhood leukemia. The findings indicate that children born through planned C-sections are at a 21% higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia, relative to those delivered by emergency C-sections.

The study, published in The International Journal of Cancer, analyzed data from nearly 25 lakh children born in Sweden. Nearly 15.5% of these children were delivered via C-section, with 1,495 later developing leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer. The research highlighted that exposure to vaginal bacteria during emergency C-sections might play a protective role as these deliveries often start as vaginal births.

The research team emphasized that the exposure to vaginal bacteria and associated immunological factors could be critical in understanding acute lymphoblastic leukemia development. While not dismissing the necessity of medically indicated C-sections, the study encourages a discussion on the rise of elective C-sections without medical necessity.