Stressful life events, social support and confidence in the pregnant woman and risk of coeliac disease in the offspring.

BACKGROUND

Stressful life events just before conception or during pregnancy can affect fetal development and increase the risk of disease in the offspring. The purpose of our study was to examine stressful life events, maternal social support and confidence during pregnancy and the risk of coeliac disease in the offspring.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study of 16,286 children born between 1 October 1997 and 1 October 1999 in southeast Sweden. The study was part of the ABIS study (ABIS = All Babies In Southeast Sweden). Data on independent variables were obtained through questionnaires distributed at birth. The questionnaire included questions about parental disease, socio-economic factors, smoking, alcohol intake but also infections during pregnancy. Eight paediatric departments prospectively recorded all children with coeliac disease (confirmed through biopsy).

RESULTS

Exposure to stressful life events (OR = 0.48: 95% CI OR = 0.12-2.01; P = 0.318), lack of social support (OR = 3.17; 95% CI OR = 0.43-23.22; P = 0.257) and lack of confidence (OR = 0.04; 95% CI OR = 0.00-2.48 x 10(9);P = 0.794) in the pregnant woman were not linked to coeliac disease in the offspring.

CONCLUSION

The study indicates that stressful life events, lack of social support and lack of confidence during pregnancy play no role in the development of coeliac disease in the offspring.