THE HEALTH OF BABIES BORN TO WOMEN WITH PREGNANCY-ASSOCIATED BREAST CANCER

Objective. To study and assess the health status of neonatal infants born to mothers with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) during treatment with and without chemotherapy. Subject and methods. The health status of 38 neonates born to mothers with PABC was analyzed. The infants were divided into 2 groups: 1) 22 babies born to mothers who had received polychemotherapy (PCT) during pregnancy; 2) 16 infants born to mothers who had not received PCT during pregnancy. The health status of the neonatal infants was comprehensively analyzed using physical, clinical, and laboratory examinations. Results. The mean gestational age by groups was 34.0±0.86 and 34.0±2.24 weeks, respectively. The infants were matchedfor weight and height in Groups 1 and 2. They were found to have most commonly the following respiratory diseases: respiratory distress syndrome, congenital pneumonia, transient tachypnea, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Examination of the cardiovascular system from ultrasonographic data revealed as follows: one baby had fetal communication syndrome (patent foramen ovale); another had hemodynamically insignificant cardiac malformation (atrial septal aneurysms). Brain ultrasonography showed subependymal cysts in two babies; central nervous system suppression was diagnosed in two cases. An infant developed hemorrhagic disease that manifested itself as gastric bleeding. Neither malformations nor manifestations of myelosuppression were detected. Conclusion. Major pathology in the neonates born to mothers with PABC both treated and untreated during pregnancy is related to early delivery and morphofunctional immaturity and prematurity rather than to antitumor therapy during pregnancy.

pregnancy-associated breast cancer, chemotherapy, neonatal health status