The Excretion of 17‐deoxycorticosteroids by Women Pregnant With a Normal or an Anencephalic Fetus

SUMMARY The urinary excretion of 17‐deoxycorticosteroids by women with a normal fetus, near term, was 15.8 ± 4.2 mg/day (mean ± SD). In contrast, women pregnant with an anencephalic fetus, non‐pregnant subjects and women taking oral contraceptives containing oestrogen excreted 3.8 ± 1.3 mg/day, 3.1 ± 1.4 mg/day and 2.5 ± 0.7 mg/day, respectively. It is concluded that, in normal pregnancy, the fetal adrenal makes a substantial contribution to the production of urinary 17‐deoxycorticosteroids, or their precursors, near term. Analysis of C21 corti‐costeroids in maternal urine of selected pregnancies may help in the identification of the steroids secreted by the fetus.