Endocrine Society Task Force Recommends Against Prenatal Dexamethasone

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http://http://www.endocrinetoday.com...aspx?rid=76649

Task force recommends against prenatal treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Speiser PW. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010;95:4133-4160.

A task force convened by the Endocrine Society has created a new clinical practice guideline for congenital adrenal hyperplasia that recommends universal newborn screening for severe steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency, followed by confirmatory tests.

Among other topics, the guideline, which is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, encompasses the adult management of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, according to Phyllis W. Speiser, MD, director of Pediatric Endocrinology for the Cohen Children’s Medical Center of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System.

The recommendation:

Speiser, who is chair of the task force, said one of the most significant recommendations is that prenatal treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia remains an experimental procedure and only takes place under research protocols approved by institutional review boards. This includes the administration of dexamethasone to pregnant women at high risk for a child with the condition to reduce the chance of ambiguous genitalia in girls.