Grandchildren

Offspring of Women Exposed In Utero to Diethylstilbestrol (DES): A Preliminary Report of Benign and Malignant Pathology in the Third Generation. Titus-Ernstoff L, Troisi R, Hatch EE, Hyer M, Wise LA, Palmer JR, Kaufman R, Adam E, Noller K, Herbst AL, Strohsnitter W, Cole BF, Hartge P, Hoover RN. Epidemiology 2008;19:251-257

Several reports have examined DES grandchildren for possible abnormalities. For the granddaughters, these studies indicate that the age of first menstruation is not affected by DES, but that DES-exposed granddaughters have a greater likelihood of menstrual irregularity. In a small clinical study that included pelvic exams, researchers found no evidence of DES-related changes in the granddaughters of women given DES during pregnancy. A study of cancer outcomes in the granddaughters and grandsons showed no overall increased risk of cancer in either gender. An excess of ovarian cancer was seen in the granddaughters of exposed women, but the number of cases was small, so the evidence is considered preliminary. Investigations in Holland and France have shown a higher risk of hypospadias (a genitourinary anomaly) in the grandsons of DES-exposed women, but DES exposure was not verified in these studies. An analysis of NCI data suggested an increased risk of hypospadias in DES-exposed grandsons, but the finding was not conclusive. A study conducted in Holland found an increased risk of tracheo-esophageal fistula in granddaughters, but this also was not seen in the NCI data