Newswise — A novel Children’s Hospital Los Angeles study led by Mimi S. Kim, MD, MSc , has received the 2024 prize for Best Original Research Paper from Hormone Research in Paediatrics and the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES). The prospective study found that babies with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have a significantly smaller thalamic region in the brain from early in life—suggesting that the condition’s effect on brain development begins in the womb.
Vidya Rajagopalan, PhD , was first author of the paper - Opens in a new window , which was chosen by the board of Hormone Research in Paediatrics—the official journal of PES—from all papers published in that journal by PES members last year. Dr. Kim is Co-Director of the Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, one of the largest CAH clinics for children in the country.
The rare disorder affects how the adrenal glands produce hormones. Classic CAH is its most severe form. “There are few centers with the expertise needed to accomplish a study like this,” she notes.
“In addition to being a nationally designated CAH Comprehensive Care Center by CARES Foundation, CHLA has extensive experience in infant neuroimaging. This was a true team science project.” Prenatal exposures Older children and adults with CAH are at higher risk for behavioral problems, learning disabilities and psychological conditions.
Dr. Kim and other researchers have also shown that these in.
