Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Many premature infants experience significant early growth failure in the weeks following delivery. Subsequent catch-up growth has traditionally been assumed to have occurred by early childhood. Most studies have focused on cohorts defined by birth weight, for example, <1500 g resulting in disproportionate numbers of small for gestational age (SGA) infants as opposed to those small solely as a consequence of prematurity. Few studies have examined growth compare...

Background: Limited evidence exists regarding the effect of antenatal prednisolone (ANP) on neonatal adrenal function. Our regional neonatal unit screens these babies by measuring three random serum cortisol levels 8 h apart on day 3 of life. Adrenal function is considered adequate if two cortisol levels are >100 nmol/l. Those with inadequate random cortisol levels undergo a low-dose Synacthen test (LDST). Our survey of UK tertiary Paediatric Endocrinology centres revealed...