title: Early menopause in mothers of children with Down syndrome?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether having a Down syndrome pregnancy at a relatively young age is associated with lower ovarian reserve as reflected by lower antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels and the occurrence of earlier menopause.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, case control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred twenty mothers (118 trisomy cases, 102 controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire and serum AMH measurement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum AMH levels and menopause, defined as not having a menstrual cycle for at least 1 year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participant response rate was 93%. After applying the exclusion criteria, 144 women were evaluable (73 trisomy cases, and 71 controls). The baseline characteristics of the women were not statistically significantly different. More women with a Down syndrome pregnancy had an AMH level below 0.5 μg/L, a difference that was statistically significant. Eleven women (15.1%) in the Down syndrome group had reached menopause compared with 9 (12.7%) of the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women who have had a Down syndrome pregnancy at a younger age show signs of limited ovarian reserve, as evidenced by their frequently having lower AMH levels. The study has found no obvious signs of early menopause thus far. Whether their age at menopause is within the normal range remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elizabeth M C
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van der Stroom
authors.forename: Tamar E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Eline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Dulmen-den Broeder
authors.forename: Wieteke S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Elzinga
authors.forename: Joris M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Montfrans
authors.forename: Maaike L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Haadsma
authors.forename: Cornelis B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lambalk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008594:Menopause, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone