A Healthy Baby Girl

A Film by
Judith Helfand
1996, 57 minutes,
Color, 16mm/DVD

In 1963 Judith’s mother was prescribed the ineffective, carcinogenic synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES), meant to prevent miscarriage and ensure a healthy baby.

At twenty-five, Judith was diagnosed with DES-related cervical cancer. After a radical hysterectomy she went to her family’s home to heal and picked up her camera. The resulting video-diary is a fascinating exploration of how science, marketing and corporate power can affect our deepest relationships.

Shot over five years, A Healthy Baby Girl tells a story of survival, mother-daughter love, family renewal, and community activism. Intimate, humorous, and searing, it is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the relationship between women’s health, public policy, medical ethics and corporate responsibility. Watch the video trailer.

• On iTunes – Film Study Guide – on Women Make Movie.
• Filmmaker Judith Helfand – on Twitter.

More DES DiEthylStilbestrol Resources

• DES studies on cancers and screening.
• DES studies on epigenetics and transgenerational effects.
• DES studies on fertility and pregnancy.
• DES studies on gender identity and psychological health.
• DES studies on in-utero exposure to DES and side-effects.
• DES studies on the genital tract.
• Papers on DES lawsuits.
• DES videos and posts tagged DES, the DES-exposed, DES victims.