One in five women 'born with conception problem'

A common condition which causes up to one in five women difficulty in conceiving may be triggered before they themselves are born.

Research shows that whether a woman will have polycystic ovary syndrome as an adult could be decided while she is still in the womb.

The condition may affect as many as one in five women and Jamie Oliver's wife Jools has spoken about her struggle to conceive after developing it. It happens when cysts grow in the ovaries and symptoms can include irregular periods, acne and obesity. The condition has also been linked with diabetes and heart disease.

An Australian study found young women who had some symptoms of polycystic ovaries but had not been diagnosed officially had been heavier at birth and tended to have mothers who were heavier in late pregnancy.

They also found that women who had been diagnosed with polycystic ovaries tended to be born lighter than women without the condition.

Dr Michael Davies of Adelaide University said this shows that different conditions in the womb can lead to separate symptoms of the same condition.

He said the grandmother may even play a part in whether the condition develops.

"We may need to look further back up the generations and look at more factors than previously considered," said Dr Davies.