Parental education and the risk of cerebral palsy for children: an evaluation of causality.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To explore whether increasing parental education has a causal effect on risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in the child, or whether unobserved confounding is a more likely explanation.

Method

We used data from Norwegian registries on approximately 1.5 million children born between 1967 and 2011. We compared results from a traditional cohort design with results from a family-based matched case-control design, in which children with CP were matched to their first cousins without CP. In addition, we performed a simulation study to assess the role of unobserved confounding.

Results

In the cohort design, the odds of CP were reduced in children of mothers and fathers with higher education (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-0.75 for maternal educa

SUBMITTER: Forthun I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12439462 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature