The Fetal and Early Childhood Origins of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): A Prospective Cohort Study
Overview of Research
PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder in women. The origins of PCOS are unknown, but animal and small human studies suggest that PCOS may arise due to elevated prenatal androgen exposure. This hypothesis has not previously been tested in large prospective studies of normal pregnancy. This study aimed to test this hypothesis in the Raine Cohort using archived maternal and umbilical cord biological samples. Participation was demanding for these adolescents, requiring
attendance on day 2-5 of menstrual cycle for ultrasound, blood tests and examination. Nevertheless, we recruited over 250 girls and successfully addressed all our study aims.
Chief Investigators
Winthrop Professor Martha Hickey
BA (Hons) MSc
MBChBMRCOG MD FRANZCOG
Professor Roger Hart
MRCOG FRANZCOG CREI
Dr Deb Sloboda
BSc (Hons) MSc PhD
Associate Professor (Adj) Dorota Doherty
BSc (Hons) PhD
Dr Helen Atkinson
BSc (Hons) PhD
Professor Steve Franks
FRCP PhD RS
Research Staff
Lee Ann Mahoney
RN RM, Project Manager
Sarah Simpson
RN
Helen Box
RN RM
Cherry Young
RN RM
Sponsors
We are grateful to the Raine Medical Research Foundation at The University of Western Australia and the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research for financial support and general support over the years. The collection of maternal data and samples was funded by the Women and Infants Research Foundation (WIRF) while the collection of adolescent data and samples was funded by NHMRC project grant number 403968 and by a University of Western Australia Ada Bartholomew Grant.
Acknowledgments
We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study. We are grateful to Lee Ann Mahoney, Sarah Simpson and Helen Box for study recruitment and James Humphreys for database construction and maintenance and the KEMH ultrasound department for their assistance and understanding.