ESPE Abstracts

Background: Prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment is in many countries offered to the pregnant woman, at risk of having a child with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), to reduce virilization in an affected female fetus. The treatment is effective in reducing virilization but may give long lasting effects on somatic and cognitive health. Here, we explore the potential effect on metabolism in children and adults not having CAH and exposed to DEX during the first trim...

Background: Individuals with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are treated postnatally with glucocorticoids. Earlier research with animals and other disorders with excess GC exposure implicate that GCs can influence memory. Deficits in working memory can be seen already during childhood in children with classic CAH.Objective: We tested the hypothesis that adult individuals with classic CAH show impaired cognitive functions.<p class="abstex...

Background: In order to prevent virilization in CAH female fetuses, physicians have during the last thirty years used the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) as a therapeutic approach administered during early pregnancy. Due to the fact that treatment has to be started before the genotype of the fetus is known, seven out of eight treated fetuses will be subjected to high doses of DEX during early embryogenesis without benefit. Therefore, negative side effects cannot b...