DES
Medical research on diethylstilbestrol (DES), exposure before birth and possible effects across generations. These studies are relevant to adoptees but do not separately analyse adoptees. Evidence about use during pregnancy does not establish effects of milk suppression after an earlier birth.
These entries are grouped by terms in their titles, summaries and topics. This is a route through the database, not a systematic review.
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Adverse health outcomes in women exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol
2011 · United States
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.
Association of Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol During Pregnancy With Multigenerational Neurodevelopmental Deficits
2018 · United States
In data from 47,540 Nurses’ Health Study II participants, reported ADHD diagnoses affected 7.7% of grandchildren of women who used DES during the relevant pregnancy, versus 5.2% without that exposure. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.36 (95% CI 1.10–1.67).
Benign and Malignant Outcomes in the Offspring of Females Exposed In Utero to Diethylstilbestrol (DES): An Update from the NCI Third Generation Study
2024 · United States
This update examined cancers and benign conditions in offspring of women exposed to DES before birth. It found little evidence of increased overall cancer risk in the third generation so far. Estimates for borderline ovarian cancer and male overall cancer were imprecise, and participants remained relatively young.
Birth Outcomes in DES Children and Grandchildren: A Multigenerational National Cohort Study on Informative Families
2023 · France
Researchers selected 74 women with children born before, during and after DES treatment and eligible grandchildren. Premature births were reported in 2.7% of pre-treatment children, 14.9% of children exposed during pregnancy and 10.8% of children born after treatment. The design examined pregnancy duration and birthweight across generations.
Grandmothers’ endocrine disruption during pregnancy, low birth weight, and preterm birth in third generation
2021 · United States
Researchers examined 54,334 grandmother–mother pairs and 128,275 grandchildren. Reported grandmother DES use during pregnancy was associated with higher odds of premature birth (adjusted OR 2.88) and low birthweight (3.09) in grandchildren. The low-birthweight association was smaller when restricted to term births.
Urogenital abnormalities in men exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero: a cohort study
2009 · United States
A follow-up of three US cohorts used prenatal records to establish exposure and questionnaires to identify diagnoses. Prenatal DES exposure was associated with undescended testes, epididymal cysts and testicular inflammation or infection, especially with exposure early in pregnancy. Several other urogenital conditions showed no association.