AsianScientist (Dec. 23, 2011) – New research by Australian scientists suggests that children whose fathers smoked around the time of conception may have a 35 percent higher risk of developing childhood leukemia.
The study, conducted by Perth’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (ICHR), has been published in the latest online edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology. The ICHR is affiliated with the University of Western Australia.
First author Dr. Elizabeth Milne said the study looked at the potential association between parental smoking and the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which affects one in 2000 children in their lifetime.
Dr. Milne said that, when fathers smoked more than 15 cigarettes a day around the time of conception, the risk of ALL in children could be increased by 35 percent.
According to Dr. Milne, the correlation fits what it is believed about tobacco smoke – that it can damage the DNA in sperm, even though the sperm can still fertilize an ovum.
The study found no increased risk of ALL in children with fathers who had previously smoked, suggesting that sperm with normal DNA may be produced after cessation.
“While women are often informed of the dangers to their unborn baby of smoking during pregnancy, this study shows that we also need to direct that message to potential fathers,” Dr. Milne said.
Dr. Milne urged caution in drawing a link in individual cases or laying blame.
“The causes of childhood leukemia are likely to involve many interacting factors of which only one is cigarette smoke. However, we do think it’s important that future fathers know the potential damage that could be caused to their sperms and have the opportunity to reduce that risk by stopping smoking,” she said.
The article can be found at: Milne E et al. (2011) Parental Prenatal Smoking and Risk of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
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Source: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
