EOHSI

Hormone concentrations during early fetal development — that may affect the child’s development and increase the mother’s risk for breast and ovarian cancer years later — are significantly affected by maternal age, body mass index and race rather than lifestyle, according to a Rutgers study.

“Hormones in early development play a key role in human health and disease risk. Since we are unable to directly measure hormones in fetuses as they are developing, the next best way is to study the mother’s hormones since they can be transferred to the fetus,” said Emily Barrett, an associate professor at Rutgers School of Public Health and a faculty member at Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute.

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