No - I don’t think it’s a touchy subject! I’ve just been sick, and haven’t been checking the boards much - sorry to keep you on pins and needles!

Here is what I know: while I was pregnant with my SW daughter, who is now 5 &1/2, I was having regular ultrasounds for various reasons. At about 28 weeks, the noticed that the baby seemed to have extra fluid around the brain (hydrocephalus), and over the next few ultrasounds, it got progressively worse. We were counselled about the ramifications of this (brain damage, etc), the possible need for a C-section, etc. Then, a VERY inquisitive geneticist took it upon himself to do some research into the subject. He found a "throw away article" (which, he explained, is a collection of case studies that have not yet undergone sufficient trials to be published in a medical journal, but are valid nevertheless), that pointed to a correlation between taking dex and the occurance of hydrocephalus in the baby. Moms can be taking the dex for various reasons, of course (like some forms of cancer treatment), not just for CAH. Because the fluid around our daughter’s brain was defiantely increasing, my doctor, our endo and geneticist all agreed that I should wean early from the dex, which I did at around 34 weeks. Miraculously, not only did the fluid stop increasing, it actually DECREASED! By the time our daughter was born - one day after her due date - her brain and fluid levels were completely normal! Her APGAR scores were normal, as were the brain scans she had done at age 2. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the extra fluid was a direct result of taking the dexamethasone. This obviously doesn’t happen very often, and as Anne Marie said, would certainly not warrent NOT taking the dex, but I think that everyone who chooses this option of CAH treatment in utero, should be aware of this, and possibly have regular ultrasounds to keep an eye on it. If caught early, I understand that hydrocephalics can even be treated in utero, by shunting. Certainly, a planned C-section, if the baby is even slightly hydrocephalic, is the smart thing to do, to avoid extra pressure on the brain. I thank God that the extra fluid in my daughter’s brain was caught early enough to avoid brain damage, and must also say that the dex did exactly what it was supposed to; her genitals, urinary tract were completely normal - even having weaned off at 34 weeks - and I would definately do it again in a heartbeat. Blessings.