Cohort study, 1991
Does having a mother with PMS affect a daughter's symptoms?
Adolescents and adults experience similar severity of premenstrual symptoms, but when mothers have PMS, both mothers and daughters tend to experience significantly more premenstrual symptoms than families without PMS. This suggests PMS may run in families.
What they did
Researchers compared firstborn adolescent daughters and their mothers with PMS to families without PMS. They tracked symptoms during two menstrual cycles using symptom questionnaires and identified when ovulation occurred using a home ovulation test.
What they found
There were no significant differences in symptom severity between adolescents and adults during the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases. However, when daughters and mothers were grouped by the mother's diagnosis, PMS mother-daughter pairs experienced significantly more premenstrual symptoms than non-PMS mother-daughter pairs. Adolescents experienced significantly more symptoms during their actual period than adults did.
What it means for you
Having a mother with PMS appears associated with experiencing more premenstrual symptoms, suggesting a possible family pattern. However, the study did not specify sample size or measure genetic factors specifically.
2
menstrual cycles tracked
About the study
- Original title
- Firstborn adolescent daughters and mothers with and without premenstrual syndrome: a comparison
- Authors
- Wilson CA, Turner CW, Keye WR Jr
- Journal
- The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
- Year
- 1991
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- None; comparison study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0197-0070(91)90455-u
Topics
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