The conclusions of a study conducted at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) about the Effects of childhood cancer on girls and their relationship with a subsequent pregnancy.
According to the scientists, women who underwent radiotherapy to treat cancer during childhood have three times the risk of having premature babies and 50% more likely that their babies were born with low weight.
For their part, they added that those who received the treatment in the abdomen saw the chances of having a miscarriage increased by 40%.
Women who have survived childhood cancer naturally worry if they will see their chances of becoming mothers reduced or not.
While this is not a definitive study on the effects of radiation therapy in pregnancy, the researchers found that survivors of childhood cancer have 30% fewer children and up to 50% those who received radiation therapy.
They point out that radiotherapy reduces the size of the uterus and also reduces the amount of blood that reaches the womb during pregnancy creating greater chances of complications such as premature delivery or children with low weight.
However, scientists have not found a relationship between chemotherapy received in childhood to treat cancer and the evolution of a subsequent pregnancy.
