Sahlgrenska Hospital Warns: Hormone Medications Can Affect Children

Sahlgrenska Hospital has issued a warning that parents using hormone medications may inadvertently transfer these hormones to their children. In one case, a ten-month-old girl developed a micropenis.

"Parents are devastated when they realize what has happened," says Chief Physician Jovanna Dahlgren to the Göteborgs-Posten.

Over the past eight years, Sahlgrenska has encountered approximately ten cases where children were exposed to their parents' hormone treatments. This can involve parents using creams or sprays for various reasons.

One case, eight years ago, involved a baby girl whose genitalia had significantly enlarged.

"She had developed a micropenis, and her clitoris and labia had grown unnaturally. Blood tests also showed very high levels of testosterone," says Jovanna Dahlgren, Chief Physician and Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology to GP.

The girl's father used a testosterone gel on his chest, where the girl often rested. Once doctors identified the cause, the father stopped applying the cream to his chest, and the girl's genitalia gradually reduced in size.

"Babies have very thin and permeable skin, so skin contact can have a significant impact."

Can Affect Bone Development

Sex hormones can also affect bone maturation, causing children to stop growing prematurely, warns Dahlgren. She urges healthcare providers to inform about the risks associated with hormone treatments and how easily hormones can be accidentally transferred to young children.

"This is treatment that parents absolutely need, so it's not about stopping it, of course. But it's crucial that we in healthcare emphasize that not a drop should be transferred to children," says Jovanna Dahlgren.