The Early Determinants of Mammographic Density Study (EDOMD) is a new project that involves the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) and scientists from Kaiser Permanente and Columbia University. The study is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The purpose of the study is to learn more about the effects of the prenatal period and early childhood on women's health, particularly the health of their breasts, later in their adult lives. In addition to adult experiences such as pregnancy, prenatal and early childhood experiences may affect breast tissue during its development. The density of a woman's breasts on a mammogram may be linked to later risk of breast cancer. This study is particularly interested in the question of whether mammographic density (the amount of the breast that appears dense on a mammogram) is related to prenatal or early childhood factors, including birth weight, and rate of childhood growth, as well as other factors that occurred during the prenatal period.

This important study can only be carried out with the participation of women who participated in the Child Health and Development Studies as children. Their mothers joined the study 40 years ago, and samples of their mother's blood were frozen and stored at that time for later studies. Their mothers provided detailed information about their pregnancies and the health of their infants during their early childhood.

The EDOMD research staff located at Kaiser Permanente will soon be contacting eligible women to participate in this study. Please consider joining if you are contacted. You will make an important contribution to scientists' knowledge about women's health and breast cancer risk. Hopefully this increased knowledge will positively impact the health of future generations.

Participants will be compensated for their time.

Will my confidentiality be protected if I participate?

All information provided by participants will be kept completely confidential. The information will not go to the participant's doctor or into her medical record. A participant may refuse to answer any question, and her choice to participate or not will not affect her health coverage in any way.