A 21 months old baby may have pituitary problems. the baby has very slow development and cannot walk or talkyet. an mri is being done tomorrow at chop. the motherwas on drugs while carrying. can source be the mother on drugs?

Since : Since this problem involves the pituitary, a gland that is important in the regulation of the endocrine system, I am going to move this to the endocrinology specialty.

Not : Not enough information to answer. What pituitary problems does the baby have, and how were they diagnosed? The doctors may be suspecting septo-optic dysplasia. This can be unrelated to the drug use. What drugs did she take?

The : The implications of in-utero drug exposure on the developing fetus can be broad and vary depending on the timing of exposure (1st trimester versus later). The most critical period of the fetus is the first 6-8 weeks post conception when most organs are developing (ogranogenesis) and if there is any teratogen exposure during that time, the fetus can develop developmental problems such as small brain (microcephaly), small birth weight, organ-specific malformation, etc. With regards to the pituitary, hypopituitarism/ septo-optic dysplasia (sod) is the most commonly described pituitary deficit in infants affected by in utero drug exposure (such as cocaine, alcohol). An MRI with dedicated pituitary cuts can confirm such diagnosis. Cayce t. Jehaimi, M.D., faap pediatric endocrinology & diabetes the children's hospital of southwest florida fort myers, fl usa.