IN-UTERO EXPOSURE TO FAMINE AND SUBSEQUENT FERTILITY - THE DUTCH FAMINE BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Objectives. We hypothesized that if prenatal caloric restriction due t o nutritional deprivation had affected development of the organs respo nsible for producing and regulating female reproductive hormones, a wo man's fertility would be impaired. Methods. Women born in Amsterdam fr om August 1, 1944, through April 15, 1946, a period encompassing a sev ere 5-month famine, were identified (n = 700; 85% response rate). Date of birth and vital status of all offspring were ascertained by home i nterview between 1987 and 1991. Famine exposure was inferred from the mother's date of birth. Results. Of the study participants, 74 (10.6%) had no children. The remainder reported 1334 offspring (1294 singleto ns, 20 pairs of twins), of whom 14 were stillborn and 22 died in the f irst 7 days of life. There was no detectable effect of famine exposure on age at menarche, the proportion having no children, age at first d elivery, or family size. An excess of perinatal deaths occurred among offspring of famine-exposed women, particularly those exposed in their third trimester. Conclusions. Acute famine exposure in utero appears to have no adverse consequences for a woman's fertility. The excess pe rinatal mortality in the second generation is unexplained and should b e confirmed by other studies.