Cognitive Functions in Children at Risk for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Treated Prenatally with Dexamethasone

Long-term Follow-up of Prenatally Dexamethasone-treated Children at Risk for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a disorder of steroid genesis affecting approximately 1:10 000 children and leading to increased levels of androgens during foetal life and subsequent virilization of external genitalia in affected girls. However, prenatal virilization can be eliminated by antenatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment. To be fully effective, DEX treatment has to be started in t...

Dexamethasone treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Ten patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (three males, seven females; aged 12-29 years) had their usual glucocorticoid treatment changed to dexamethasone in three crossover dosage regimens. A starting dose of 5 micrograms/kg/day is suggested but as no one dose regimen resulted in adequate control the timing of the dose must be decided for each patient.

Prenatal Dexamethasone for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Following extensive examination of published and unpublished materials, we provide a history of the use of dexamethasone in pregnant women at risk of carrying a female fetus affected by congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). This intervention has been aimed at preventing development of ambiguous genitalia, the urogenital sinus, tomboyism, and lesbianism. We map out ethical problems in this histo...

Linear growth in treated congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Nocturnal Dexamethasone versus Hydrocortisone for the Treatment of Children with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia affects approximately 1 in 15,000 children. Current treatment strategies using multiple daily doses of hydrocortisone lead to suboptimal outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that nocturnal administration of dexamethasone will suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis more effectively than standard hydrocortisone treatment by blocking the inherent diur...