Neurodevelopmental disorders in children exposed in utero to synthetic progestins

Analysis from the national cohort of the Hhorages Association, 2019

2019 Study Abstract

The medical and scientific communities have not yet fully acknowledged the undesirable effects of the synthetic hormones that have been administered to pregnant women for decades.

The somatic effects of in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), such as genital malformations, infertility, and cancer, have long been recognized but this has not been the case concerning psychiatric disorders.

The progestins used in contraception and hormone replacement therapy are known to affect the adult brain, but no data exist on their effects due to in utero exposure of children.

The Hhorages Association, a national patient support group, has assembled a cohort of 1200 women who took synthetic hormones during pregnancy. These women had a combined 1934 children. We obtained full questionnaire responses from 46 women treated with progestins only – and not an estrogenic cocktail – who gave birth to 115 children.

Three groups were observed:

  1. Group 1 (n = 18): firstborn unexposed children,
  2. Group 2 (n = 62): children exposed in utero to synthetic progestins,
  3. and Group 3 (n = 35): children born after a previous pregnancy treated with progestins.

No psychiatric disorders were reported in Group 1 and the incidence of psychiatric disorders was drastically elevated in Group 2.

Our work shows a striking increase in psychiatric disorders among children exposed in utero to progestins and strongly suggests that prenatal exposure is associated with a high risk of psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood, whether accompanied or not by disorders of sex development.

Reference.

Association between fetal DES-exposure and psychiatric disorders in adolescence/adulthood

Psychiatric disorders evidence from a French cohort of 1002 prenatally DES-exposed children

identity-disorder image
HHORAGES Association work demonstrates that prenatal exposure to DES is associated with a high risk of psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood. Image by JustCallMe_♥Bethy♥.

2015 Study Abstract

In utero diethylstibestrol (DES) exposure has been demonstrated to be associated with somatic abnormalities in adult men and women. Conversely, the data are contradictory regarding the association with psychological or psychiatric disorders during adolescence and adulthood. This work was designed to determine whether prenatal exposure to DES affects brain development and whether it is associated with psychiatric disorders in male and female adolescents and young adults.

HHORAGES Association, a national patient support group, has assembled a cohort of 1280 women who took DES during pregnancy. We obtained questionnaire responses from 529 families, corresponding to 1182 children divided into three groups:

  1. Group 1 (n = 180): firstborn children without DES treatment,
  2. Group 2 (n = 740): exposed children,
  3. and Group 3 (n = 262): children born after a previous pregnancy treated by DES.

No psychiatric disorders were reported in Group 1. In Group 2, the incidence of disorders was drastically elevated (83.8%), and in Group 3, the incidence was still elevated (6.1%) compared with the general population. This work demonstrates that prenatal exposure to DES is associated with a high risk of psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood.

Sources and more information
  • Association between fetal DES-exposure and psychiatric disorders in adolescence/adulthood: evidence from a French cohort of 1002 prenatally exposed children, Soyer-Gobillard MO, Paris F, Gaspari L, Courtet P, Sultan C., NCBI PMID: 26172930, 2015.
More DES DiEthylStilbestrol Resources

Behavioral and somatic Disorders in Children Exposed in Utero to Synthetic Hormones

A Testimony-Case Study in a French Family Troop, 2012

Behavioral and Somatic Disorders in Children Exposed in Utero to Synthetic Hormones: A Testimony-Case Study in a French Family Troop
French study reveals serious DES psychological side effects in DES Daughters and DES Sons

Using a familial case control study, Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard – former director emeritus at the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) – and Charles Sultan show that there are serious effects on the psychological and physical health of the descendants of women treated with synthetic hormones during their pregnancy: psychiatric illnesses are often found associated with somatic disorders which are well known to be the DES and EE signature. Synthetic hormones, acting as endocrine disturbers, are toxic for humans, especially for pregnant women and their children, probably partly in relation with their toxic degradation status. In all cases girls suffered more than boys either of somatic and/or psychiatric disorders due to the estrogen receptor alpha or beta concentration higher in female fetus than in male. It is also clear that in all the families most of the exposed children are ill while quite the unexposed are not.

2012 Study Overview:

  • Materials and methods: Gathering questionnaires and the evidence
  • Results / Data Analysis / Discussion
  • A multi-generational effect? By what mechanism?
  • Conclusion

Read Behavioral and Somatic Disorders in Children Exposed in Utero to Synthetic Hormones: A Testimony-Case Study in a French Family Troop by Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard, Charles Sultan (2012), Dr. Sameh Magdeldin (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0772-9, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/48637.

Related posts:

More DES DiEthylStilbestrol Resources

Exposition au Distilbène et troubles Psy: faisceau consistant d’arguments!

Maladies psychiques et troubles psychiatriques, l’autre scandale du DES

Le Distilbène a t-il engendré des troubles psy chez les enfants exposés ?
HHORAGES-France

Le Distilbène DES pourrait aussi être responsable de troubles psychiatriques. C’est, en tous cas, ce que soutient l’association Hhorages (Halte aux hormones artificielles pour les grossesses), rassemblant plus de mille familles dont les enfants sont victimes de dépressions sévères, d’anxiété, de troubles du comportement alimentaire, de schizophrénie, etc. …
… Le Distilbène appartient à la famille des perturbateurs endocriniens. Or, ces derniers sont capables de dérégler la machinerie qui régule les gènes à tous les niveaux, y compris celui du système nerveux central
 … ”

Le Distilbène DES, en savoir plus

Maladies psychiques et troubles psychiatriques, l’autre scandale du Distilbène?

Le DES a t-il engendré des troubles psychiatriques chez les enfants exposés?

Troubles psy, l'autre scandale du Distilbène ?
Non, nous n’avons pas encore tiré toutes les leçons de l’histoire du DES

Hhorages a rassemblé le témoignage de 1240 familles dont 1734 enfants ont été exposés au DES. Parmi eux, plus de la moitié (949) sont atteints de problèmes psychiatriques seuls, 464 ont en plus des troubles somatiques et 190 des troubles somatiques seuls. Une autre étude sur 529 familles, réalisée par l’association et publiée dans le journal Médecine et Longévité en 2011, constate que sur 740 enfants ayant subi une exposition prénatale au DES, 405 ont des troubles psychiatriques.

Plus d’information

Le Distilbène DES, en savoir plus

Le Distilbène a t-il engendré des Troubles Psychiatriques chez les Enfants exposés?

Association entre l’exposition du fœtus au DES avec des troubles psy à l’adolescence

A l’association Hhorages, 1 223 témoignages de mères ayant pris du DES pendant leur grossesse ont été enregistrés. Sur 1 676 enfants imprégnés dans le ventre de leur mère, 916 souffrent de troubles psychotiques … … Rien d’étonnant, apparemment, pour le Dr Oussama Kébir, psychiatre : Le Distilbène appartient à la famille des perturbateurs endocriniens. Or, ces derniers sont capables de dérégler la machinerie qui régule les gènes à tous les niveaux, y compris celui du système nerveux central.

Le Distilbène DES, en savoir plus

Perturbateurs Endocriniens et Troubles du Comportement, Témoignages et Recherche Scientifique

Nous n’avons pas encore tiré toutes les leçons de l’histoire du Distilbène DES

Perturbateurs Endocriniens et Troubles du Comportement, Témoignages et Recherche Scientifique

Affiche de la Conférence du Docteur Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard sur Flickr  DES Diethylstilbestrol's photostream on Flickr

Le but d’HHORAGES-France, c’est d’établir la relation de cause à effet entre la prise d’hormones sexuelles de synthèse lors des grossesses et tous les troubles générés, à plus ou moins long terme, chez les enfants issus de ces grossesses.

Revue de Presse – Médecine & Longévité – Lisez Perturbateurs endocriniens et troubles du comportement : non, nous n’avons pas encore tiré toutes les leçons de l’histoire du DES publié par Elsevier.

Le Distilbène DES, en savoir plus