Adverse health outcomes in women exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol
Researchers followed 4,653 women exposed to DES before birth and 1,927 unexposed women. Prenatal exposure was associated with increased risks across reproductive and other health outcomes, including infertility, pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy, premature delivery and early menopause.
Why it matters to adoptees: An adoptee may be missing maternal prescribing history relevant to reproductive health. This study supports investigating prenatal exposure, but adoption or birth order alone does not establish exposure.
Limitations: US cohorts, not an adoptee sample. Concerns DES during the pregnancy carrying the participant, not lactation suppression after an earlier birth. Publications from the NCI programme overlap and are not independent populations.
- Research type
- Observational cohort study
- Source reviewed
- Abstract
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Age group
- Adults
Study context and review
Age group as recorded: Adults
Adoption context: Medical evidence relevant to adoptees; not an adoptee sample
Programme: NCI DES Follow-up Study
Institutional context: Government / government-commissioned research
US National Cancer Institute collaborative research programme. Public research body; funding/commissioning details require study-specific review.
Scoped bibliographic and source review. Bibliographic relationships are not a bias or safety rating.
Topics: adoptee-relevant medical evidence, DES, diethylstilbestrol, infertility, medical history, Prenatal exposure, reproductive health
Review scope: Abstract and bibliographic metadata; full text not comprehensively reviewed.
Country as recorded: United States
- Funding
- Not yet checked
- Commissioner
- Not yet checked
- Funder role
- Not yet checked
- Declared conflicts
- Not yet checked
- Recruitment
- Not yet checked for this entry
- Adoptee involvement
- Not established in material reviewed
Entry: study_bad384d4b499803b