Adrenal insufficiency due to high doses of maternal corticosteroid treatment in a premature baby.

Adrenal insufficiency (AI) in a newborn due to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression after maternal glucocorticoid therapy during pregnancy is a rare condition. We report an AI triggered by a nosocomial infection in a premature newborn. The suspected mechanism was the suppression of the HPA axis due to high doses of maternal glucocorticoid treatment during pregnancy.