COMPARISON OF PREGNANCY EXPERIENCE IN DES-EXPOSED AND DES-UNEXPOSED DAUGHTERS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (2) , 62-69
Abstract
Reproductive histories were compared for 226 DES[diethylstilbestrol]-exposed and 203 unexposed daughters whose mothers participated in a double-blind evaluation 27 yr before. Irregular menstruation was slightly more common among the exposed (10%) than among the unexposed (4%). Nineteen of the exposed and only 4 of the unexposed had primary infertility. Among those at risk, 86% of the unexposed and 67% of the exposed had become pregnant. The reasons for these differences are not known. Comparison of evaluable 1st pregnancy outcome revealed full-term live birth to be more common among the unexposed (85%) than the exposed (47%). Premature live birth was experienced by 22% of the exposed but only 7% of the unexposed. Nonviable outcomes of stillbirth, neonatal death, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy occurred in 31% of the exposed and 8% of the unexposed. The difference in pregnancy outcomes between the groups is highly significant. The DES-exposed with transverse cervicovaginal ridges were more likely to experience a nonviable outcome. Overall 82% of the exposed and 93% of the unexposed had at least 1 live offspring.