Millions of women and their fetuses were exposed to the toxic pregnancy drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) from the 1940s into the 1970s, a time when the medical profession had little knowledge about potential developmental consequences of fetal drug exposures. Pathological consequences of DES exposure to the pregnant mothers and their offspring are well documented, but now generational research is finding that the grandchildren of women given DES in pregnancy are also at risk. This commentary summarizes presentations on this subject from the Beyond Genes panel “Heritable Impacts of Diethylstilbestrol (DES).”
Summary sentence
Research has shown that diethylstilbestrol can exert adverse heritable consequences. The session at Beyond Genes drew attention to the latest findings and research efforts.