Maternal risk factors for omphalocele

Introduction: Omphalocele is a rare congenital abdominal wall defect characterized by the herniation of abdominal organs through the umbilical ring, covered by a protecting sac. The etiology is not fully understood and little is known on the role of maternal factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of maternal risk factors in the development of omphalocele. Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted using data from Swedish national registries between 1997 and 2016. The study included 207 mothers of children born with omphalocele (cases) and 2070 controls, matched on the children’s sex and birth year. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Maternal obesity (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) 1.82, 95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.88) and IVF conception (adjusted OR 4.49, 95% CI 1.76-11.4) were associated with an increased risk of omphalocele. Multiparity was associated to decreased risk (adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0.77) as 58% of the omphalocele cases were firstborn. Conclusions: Maternal obesity and IVF conception are factors associated with an increased risk of omphalocele, whereas multiparity is linked to decreased risk.