Are there any problems with offspring of daughters (i.e., third generation) who were exposed in utero to DES?
Two published studies have examined DES granddaughters for possible abnormalities. A 1995 study found that the age at which menstruation began was not affected by the mother’s exposure to DES. In a 2002 study, researchers compared DES granddaughters’ pelvic exams to the results of their mothers’ first pelvic exams. None of the granddaughters’ pelvic exams showed changes usually associated with DES exposure. The researchers concluded that third-generation effects of in utero DES exposure are unlikely. Currently, NCI is sponsoring a study of daughters, 18 years and older, whose mothers were exposed to DES in utero. Results of this study should be available in the next year or two.
