What does DES do to babies?
The effect of DES on sons born between 1938 and 1971 is unclear, but some studies have found that sons have a higher risk for testicular abnormalities like undescended testicles or the development of cysts and inflammation in the testicles.
What birth defects are caused by DES?
DES-exposed daughters are at an increased risk of abnormalities of the reproductive tract, including vaginal epithelial changes such as vaginal adenosis (which means a type of cell normally found in the uterus, columnar cells, are also present in the vagina), an increased cervical transformation zone, and uterine …
How many generations does DES affect?
Within each of these three generations, risks associated with exposure to DES are assessed by comparing health outcomes in the DES-exposed with those of the unexposed.
What is a DES child?
Diethylstilboestrol (DES) was a medication commonly prescribed to prevent miscarriage, between 1946 and 1971 in Australia. If your mother took DES while she was pregnant with you, then you are a DES daughter or DES son.
How does diethylstilbestrol affect a fetus?
Women who were exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero may have structural reproductive tract anomalies, an increased infertility rate, and poor pregnancy outcomes.
Does DES affect grandchildren?
The endocrine disrupting chemical diethylstilbestrol (DES), which has been banned in the U.S. since 1971, may be linked to increased odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in grandchildren of the women who used it, a large-scale cohort analysis suggests.
What are the pregnancy risks associated with exposure to DES exposure?
Several studies have found increased risks of premature birth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy associated with DES exposure. An analysis of updated data published in 2011 is outlined in the table below.
What happens if you are exposed to des in the womb?
Women exposed to DES in the womb face increased cancer risk. According to the results of this study, by age 55, 1 in 25 DES-exposed daughters will develop abnormal cellular changes in the cervix or vagina, and 1 in 50 will develop breast cancer due to their DES exposure.
Does DES exposure in the womb affect testicular abnormalities in sons?
This study did not evaluate sons with DES exposure in the womb, but previous reports have indicated an increased risk for certain testicular abnormalities, including undescended testicles or the development of cysts in the epididymis, tightly coiled tubes connected to the testicles.
What are the possible effects of DES exposure?
Researchers are following up with more than 20,000 people to look for possible effects of DES, such as higher risks of breast and testicular cancers, as well as other health issues that might not be as easily linked to DES exposure. This research is still going on, and study results continue to be published.