title: Perinatal environment and endometriosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Perinatal environmental exposure may affect fetal development and reprogram the developing organism for adult-onset disease. In this case-control study, we aimed at assessing this pathogenetic model in endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with a first laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis were selected as cases. Controls were women who underwent laparoscopy during the same study period, but who were found to be free of the disease. Selected women and their mothers were interviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-one women with endometriosis and 82 controls were selected. Handedness, a variable believed to be determined prenatally by hormonal environment in utero significantly differed between the study groups. Women with the disease were less likely to be left- or mixed-handed (adjusted OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.71). In contrast, we failed to detect any association with birth order, maternal age, smoking, nausea, weight gain, prematurity, birth weight and breast-feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results generally do not support the view that in utero exposure may play a major role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. The association with handedness, however, is intriguing in this regard and deserves further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, Fondazione Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. dadosomigliana@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Somigliana
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vigano
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbiati
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paffoni
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benaglia
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vercellini
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fedele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D018743:Perinatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires