![]() ![]() administered ACTH is a common screening test. ![]() To evaluate the adrenal function the plasma cortisol response to i.v. Therefore, the ability of the HPA-axis to regulate, synthesize, and secrete cortisol in response to stress may be critical for survival and pulmonary development in very preterm infants. Immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis in preterm infants has been suggested to be associated with the occurrence of respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease of prematurity, or even cardiovascular instability (5– 7). It has been suggested that the adrenal cortex function may be more closely related to gestational age rather than to birth (3, 4), which implicates that in very preterm infants the adrenal activity may still be immature. For example, secretion of cortisol in late gestation is essential for lung maturation in sheep, rats, monkeys, and possibly humans (1, 2). Steroid hormones produced by the fetal adrenal cortex are involved in the maturation of organ systems necessary for intrauterine and extrauterine life. The adrenal gland plays an important role during gestation. ![]()
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