Results of a national survey of the current use of steroids in newborns in 1993 showed
that 95% of the neonatologists in the United States have used dexamethasone for neonates
at risk for chronic lung disease. Dexamethasone therapy for a period of a week or
longer is associated with suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA)
in a substantial number of premature infants. A review of our current understanding
of the biochemical tests evaluating HPAA function in premature infants and suggested
guidelines for HPAA evaluation and management following dexamethasone therapy are
presented.
Dexamethasone - hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis
