Endocrine disease in the neonate is uncommon, but may be life threaten-
ing or have profound long-term consequences if not promptly recognized
and treated. In addition, interpretation of endocrine function in the new-
born period can be difficult, because of the transition following the hor-
monal influences of the mother and placenta. The situation is even more
complex in infants born prematurely.
The aim of this handbook is to aid those caring for newborn babies in the
diagnosis and management of suspected endocrine pathology. A number
of flow charts are provided to clarify the diagnostic process. This book is
designed to guide clinicians in the diagnostic process, but an endocrine
specialist should be involved at an early stage, where an endocrine abnor-
mality is strongly suspected.
We have given a guide to how and when samples should be taken, and
provided a guide as to sample volumes, length of time one can expect before
the results are available and normative values. However, these will vary
between hospitals, methodology used, and whether samples need to be sent
elsewhere for analysis. We have also provided a formulary of drugs used in
neonatal endocrinology.