Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula in children of women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to study the possible risk to mothers exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol for offspring with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula.


METHODS
Information on the mothers' in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol was obtained from 3 sources: questionnaires completed by members of the parents' association of children with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula; records of patients with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula from a hospital database; and files from the Northern Netherlands EUROCAT birth defects registry.


RESULTS
Three of 124 (2.4%) mothers from the parents' association and 6 of 192 (3.1%) mothers from the hospital cases reported in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol. For 8848 children registered by EUROCAT, 33 (0.37%) mothers reported in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol. Of 117 infants with esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula, 4 (3.4%) had a mother with in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol; this association was statistically significant (P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
We report a possible transgenerational effect of diethylstilbestrol exposure in the cause of some cases of esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula.
Felix
Janine F
JF
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Steegers-Theunissen
Régine P M
RP
de Walle
Hermien E K
HE
de Klein
Annelies
A
Torfs
Claudine P
CP
Tibboel
Dick
D
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004933:Esophageal Atresia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014138:Tracheoesophageal Fistula / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol