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Helping moms-to-be with cancer… be moms!

Development of children born to mothers with  cancer during pregnancy: comparing in utero  chemotherapy-exposed children with  nonexposed controls

Development of children born to mothers with cancer during pregnancy: comparing in utero chemotherapy-exposed children with nonexposed controls

Elyce H. Cardonick, MD; Marcy B. Gringlas, PhD; Krystal Hunter, MBA; Jay Greenspan, MD

OBJECTIVE: Cancer is diagnosed in approximately 1 per 1000 pregnant women. Lifesaving cancer therapy given to the mother during pregnancy appears in conflict with the interest of the developing fetus. Often, termination of pregnancy is suggested but has not been proven in any type of cancer to improve maternal prognosis, while very few studies have documented the long-term effects of in utero chemotherapy exposure on child outcome. To counsel patients about the risk of continuing a pregnancy while undergoing cancer treatment, we performed developmental testing to provide more detailed follow-up on children exposed in utero to chemotherapy. (more…)