In utero exposure to famine and subsequent fertility: The Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study

Objectives. We hypothesized that if prenatal caloric restriction due to nutritional deprivation had affected development of the organs responsible for producing and regulating female reproductive hormones, a woman's fertility would be impaired. Methods. Women born in Amsterdam from August 1, 1944, through April 15, 1946, a period encompassing a severe 5-month famine, were identified (n = 700; 85% response rate). Date of birth and vital status of all offspring were ascertained by home interview 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 singletons, 20 pairs of twins), of whom 14 were stillborn and 22 died in the first 7 days of life. There was no detectable effect of famine exposure on age at menarche, the proportion having no children, age at first delivery, 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 perinatal mortality in the second generation is unexplained and should be confirmed by other studies.