Hello! Congratulations on your pregnancy! I see from your last post that you are considering not taking the dex because you want to research "the potential effects of the medication on the developing fetus in terms of its cognitive and emotional development". I took dex througout my pregnancy with my 5 &1/2 yr old sw daughter, and would hold her up for scrutiny! Not only are her genitals and urinary tract "normal" (thus saving us the reconstructive and/or cosmetic surgeries), but she is completely normal and bright mentally as well. There is the whole contraversial theory of "masculinization of the fetal brain" of course, but I must say that my daughter is very feminine (liking Barbies, and make-up and fancy dresses), but is also very active and "rough and tumble" (gee ... a lot like her mommy was at that age ;) !!

I am currently homeschooling her and her (non CAH) 8 yr old brother, and we had them tested last fall for cognitive and emotional developement, among other things. She tested at least 2 grd levels above her peers in nearly every category (mothers always believe their kids are exceptional, but it’s nice to have that confirmed!); emotionally, she is well adjusted, very happy-go-lucky, and even tempered (although we DID have a period of "moodiness" when her medication levels were badly off).

The fetal brain starts developing quite early, so I would urge you to begin the dex asap, if this is what you decide. I would like also to highly recommend taking this course of treatment (unless, of course, it plays havock with your BP or the like); I personally feel that the discomforts of taking the dex, such as heartburn, jitteriness, etc. , were a small price to pay so that my daughter wouldn’t have to have surgeries (which are NOT all optional! ... urinary tract abnormalities can cause a mirad of troubles later on in life), or the effects of extra testosterone on her personality/development. There are many opinions on this matter, of course! If you’d like to chat about the dex, or the effects it had on me or my daughter, please e-mail me anytime. God’s blessings!