[The importance of the endogenous glucocorticoids in the development of foetal pulmonary maturity (author's transl)].

In 8 anencephalic foetuses diagnosed by ultrasonic and x-ray examination, the authors determined the cortisol concentration of the amniotic fluid before and after intramuscular prednisolone treatment, as well as the ratio of lecithin to sphingomyeline (L/S). Compared with the data obtained in 122 normal newborn who had been born during the same pregnancy week, both the cortisol concentration and the L/S ratio was found to be significantly lower in all anencephalic foetuses. The authors found that with the anencephalic foetuses the foetal pulmonary maturity is retarded compared to the normal foetuses; antenatal treatment with glucocorticoid did not accelerate functional maturity of the foetal lung. The authors are of the opinion that an indispensable prerequisite of foetal pulmonary maturity and efficacy of the antenatal glucocorticoid treatment is an intact hypothalamic-hypophyseal adrenocortical system of the foetus.