PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO DIETHYLSTILBESTROL AND THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP

The psychological consequences resulting from the exposure to diethyls tilboestol (DES), a non-steroidal oestrogen, on the mother-daughter re lationship are studied using semi-directive interviews with 43 daughte rs and 7 mothers treated with DES during their pregnancies. These wome n referred to gynaecological consultation for DES-related problems. Th e daughters, exposed to DES during their foetal life, learned about DE S after a pregnancy mishap (35% of the cases), or by accident (65% of the cases). All of them were shocked when the existence of DES and its side effects were revealed to them. Consequences on the mother-daught er relationship were absent in 60% of the cases, favourable in 20%, an d negative in 20%. Five percent of the women showed hostility towards the medical practice, but 65% were not suspicious of the drugs adminis tered to them during their pregnancies. For 64% of them, administratio n of DES to their mother had been kept secret. In 7 out of 50 cases, p arents alone came for medical assistance in order to manage the secret . Exposure to DES may reveal pre-existing difficulties not only betwee n the mother and the daughter, but sometimes beyond from generation to generation.