Anogenital distance in children born of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome: the Odense Child Cohort

AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONAre higher testosterone levels during pregnancy in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) associated with longer offspring anogenital distance (AGD)?SUMMARY ANSWERAGD was similar in 3-month-old children born of mothers with PCOS compared to controls.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYAGD is considered a marker of prenatal androgenization.STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONMaternal testosterone levels were measured by mass spectrometry at Gestational Week 28 in 1127 women. Maternal diagnosis of PCOS before pregnancy was defined according to Rotterdam criteria. Offspring measures included AGD from anus to posterior fourchette (AGDaf) and clitoris (AGDac) in girls and to scrotum (AGDas) and penis (AGDap) and penile width in boys and body composition (weight and BMI SD scores) at age 3  months.PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSThe study was part of the prospective study, Odense Child Cohort (OCC), and included mothers with PCOS (n = 139) and controls (n = 1422). The control population included women with regular menstrual cycles (<35  days) before conception and no signs of androgen excess (hirsutism and/or acne).MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEAGD measures were comparable in offspring of women with PCOS compared to controls (allP >  0.2) despite significantly higher maternal levels of total testosterone (mean: 2.4 versus 2.0 nmol/l) and free testosterone (mean: 0.005 versus 0.004 nmol/l) in women with PCOS versus controls (bothP <  0.0...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research