Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment in 4 to 11-Year-Old Boys and Girls with Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Unaffected Siblings

Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive genetic condition, which occurs in approximately 1 in 16,000 to 1 in 20,000 births (White, 2009). More than 90% of cases are caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency, resulting in cortisol insufficiency and steroid precursors being converted to adrenal androgens (Pasterski& Hughes, 2016; White et al., 1994). Although females with classic CAH are exposed to elevated concentrations of androgens prenatally, prenatal androgen exposure in males with classic CAH appears to be within the normal male range (Pang et al., 1980; Wudy et al., 1999).

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - July 5, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Karson T.F. Kung, Debra Spencer, Vickie Pasterski, Sharon A.S. Neufeld, Peter C. Hindmarsh, Ieuan A. Hughes, Carlo L. Acerini, Melissa Hines Source Type: research