Neonatal Leukemia

doi:10.1017/9781108773584.023

Chapter 21 - Neonatal Leukemia

from Section VIII - Neonatal Oncology

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 January 2021

Irene Roberts and

Edited by

Robert D. Christensen and

Martha C. Sola-Visner

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Pedro A. de Alarcón: Affiliation:
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Eric J. Werner: Affiliation:
Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters
Robert D. Christensen: Affiliation:
University of Utah
Martha C. Sola-Visner: Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts

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Summary

Leukemia in the neonatal period is very rare and can present as early as the day of birth [1, 2]. Acute leukemia arises from clonal changes in hematopoietic precursor cells. In neonatal leukemia, defined as leukemia presenting in the first month after birth, these clonal abnormalities initiate during fetal development [3]. A backtracking molecular study of infants and young children who developed leukemia beyond the neonatal period demonstrated that the same clonal mutations found in the leukemia were also present in neonatal blood spots [4]. Though some epidemiologic studies have suggested that maternal intake of certain foods may contribute, the genetic and environmental risk factors for infant leukemia are not well understood [5–7]. One exception is the observation that an identical twin of an infant with acute lymphoblastic leukemia has a nearly 100% chance of developing the same type of leukemia [8, 9].

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Type: Chapter
Information: Neonatal Hematology
Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Hematologic Problems
, pp. 367 - 381
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108773584.023 [Opens in a new window]
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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