PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - R Gitau AU - D Adams AU - N M Fisk AU - V Glover TI - Fetal plasma testosterone correlates positively with cortisol AID - 10.1136/adc.2004.049320 DP - 2005 Mar 01 TA - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition PG - F166--F169 VI - 90 IP - 2 4099 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/90/2/F166.short 4100 - http://fn.bmj.com/content/90/2/F166.full SO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2005 Mar 01; 90 AB - Background: Fetal exposure to testosterone has been implicated in programming childhood behaviour, but little is known about the determinants of fetal testosterone concentrations. Aims: To investigate the relation between fetal testosterone and maternal and fetal cortisol. Methods: Clinically indicated blood samples taken from 44 human fetuses (mean gestational age 27 weeks, range 15–38), together with paired maternal samples, were analysed for testosterone and cortisol concentrations. Results: Male fetuses had significantly higher concentrations of testosterone than females. Female but not male fetal concentrations rose significantly with gestational age. Fetal testosterone correlated positively with both fetal cortisol and maternal testosterone concentrations. Multiple regression showed that maternal testosterone and fetal cortisol were independently correlated with fetal plasma testosterone in both sexes. Conclusion: Unlike the norm in the adult, where testosterone production is often inhibited by cortisol, in the fetus there is a positive link between the two.