Children born by planned cesarean section are 21% more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a childhood cancer, than those born vaginally, a new study finds.
The research, conducted in Sweden, is consistent with previous studies that also found a link between pediatric ALL risk and C-sections. More recent research, including this latest study, has specifically connected the majority of that risk to planned C-sections. In this study, planned C-sections were defined as those initiated prior to labor.
