Q: Is there any remedy to treat Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)? Please suggest me the steps of treatments, pre-pregnancy. My baby expired due to a birth defect called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The doctors operated and diagnosed it as TERM/SGA, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (salt-losing) with severe crisis. The baby was alive for just one month (15 days in NICU and 15 days with me). What should I do for my next baby?

A:Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic disorder, and it is presumed that both the husband and wife are carriers of the gene for CAH. I understand the child is no more. You have a 25 % risk of having the same problem in the next pregnancy. Before you embark upon another pregnancy you should get your and your husband's blood examined for mutations in the CAH gene. This would enable us to make a prenatal diagnosis of the disorder in the next baby at 11 weeks of pregnancy. Incidentally, your father should be tested for mutations in the connexin 26 gene, which is a common cause of deafness. On finding the mutations we can check you and your husband also for mutations in this gene, to avoid such a problem in your next baby.