Congential Adrenal Hyperplasia: Urinary System Implications and Treatment

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a genetic or hereditary disorder that influences an infant’s adrenal glands. Notably, adrenal glands refer to two walnut-sized organs that are found above the kidneys. The two primary types of CAH are classic and non-classic. Classic CAH is usually diagnosed at birth, and it can be life-threatening if untreated, while non-classic during adolescence (Hamrahian, Salvatori, & Morris-Wiseman, 2021). The paper focuses on the urinary system implications for an infant born with CAH and its treatment.
Adrenal glands produce essential hormones that facilitate the proper functioning of the body. They include cortisol, aldosterone, and testosterone. In particular, cortisol regulates the response of the body to stress or illness. Mineralocorticoids, including aldosterone, control potassium, and sodium levels. Androgens, namely testosterone, refer to sex hormones that contribute to boys’ and girls’ growth and development (Wilson, 2022). Symptoms of CAH occur depending on the enzyme deficiency. For example, insufficient cortisol leads to problems in maintaining blood sugar levels and blood pressure. The lack of cortisol production is life-threatening. Excessive production of androgen might cause early puberty for boys and girls and severe acne. Children with non-classic CAH might experience masculine characteristics, such as a deep voice, excessive facial hair, and irregular menstrual cycles.
Newborns with CAH experience urinary system implications. Salt-wasting is the common and severe form of CAH in infants. When a baby is born with this type of disorder, she or he starts to show various signs after the first few weeks. Some of the symptoms include vomiting, poor feeding, sleeping longer, diarrhea, tiredness, weight loss, rapid heart rate, and irritability (Sarafoglou, n.d.). The majority of these signs result from severe dehydration. With salt-wasting, a baby loses more water and sodium when urinating, increasing the concentration of potassium in the body, which causes low blood pressure and dehydration. Simple-virilizing CAH can be determined at birth due to the enlarged clitoris, small testicles, and labia fused making it resemble a scrotum. As such, salt-wasting has significant implications for the baby’s urinary system. Indeed, if severe, it might lead to an adrenal crisis, causing severe dehydration, alkalosis, hyponatremia, shock, and finally death (Lasarev e...