Pregnancy SmartSiteTM

Skip Navigation Schedule An Appointment

Normal Pregnancy

Staying Healthy

Alcohol and pregnancy Managing your weight gain in pregnancy Steps to take before you get pregnant When you need to gain more weight during pregnancy

What to expect during pregnancy

Aches and pains during pregnancy Choosing the right practitioner Common symptoms during pregnancy Hyperemesis Gravidarum Morning sickness Pregnancy and travel Pregnancy and work Problems sleeping during pregnancy Skin and hair changes during pregnancy Teenage pregnancy

Preparing to go home with your baby

Cribs and crib safety Eat right during pregnancy Preparing your other children

Visits and Tests

Amniocentesis Chorionic villus sampling Genetic counseling before pregnancy Glucose tolerance test-pregnancy Monitoring your baby before labor Nuchal translucency Prenatal care in your first trimester Prenatal care in your second trimester Prenatal care in your third trimester

17-OH progesterone

Definition

17-OH progesterone is a blood test that measures the amount of 17-OH progesterone in the blood. This is a hormone produced by the and sex glands.

How the Test is Performed

A blood sample is needed. Most of the time, blood is located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.

In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin.

  • The blood collects in a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip.
  • A bandage is put over the spot to stop any bleeding.

    • How to Prepare for the Test

    Many medicines can interfere with blood test results.

  • Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test.
  • Do not stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first.

    • How the Test will Feel

    You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted. You may also feel some throbbing at the site after the blood is drawn.

    Why the Test is Performed

    The main use of this test is to check infants for an inherited disorder that affects the adrenal gland, called (CAH). It is often done on infants who are born with outer genitals that do not clearly look like those of a boy or a girl.

    This test is also used to identify people who develop symptoms of CAH later in life, a condition called nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia.

    A provider may recommend this test for women or girls who have male traits such as:

  • Excess hair growth in places where adult men grow hair
  • Deep voice or an increase in muscle mass
  • Absence of menses
  • Infertility

    • Normal Results

    Normal and abnormal values differ for babies born with low birth weight. In general, normal results are as follows:

  • Babies more than 24 hours old - less than 400 to 600 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) or 12.12 to 18.18 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L)
  • Children before puberty around 100 ng/dL or 3.03 nmol/L
  • Adults - less than 200 ng/dL or 6.06 nmol/L

    • Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

    The examples above show the common measurements for results of these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

    What Abnormal Results Mean

    A high level of 17-OH progesterone may be due to:

  • (CAH)

    • In infants with CAH, the 17-OHP level ranges from 2,000 to 40,000 ng/dL or 60.6 to 1212 nmol/L. In adults, a level greater than 200 ng/dL or 6.06 nmol/L may be due to nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia.

    Considerations

    Your provider may suggest an if 17-OH progesterone level is between 200 to 800 ng/dL or 6.06 to 24.24 nmol/L.

    References

    Chan Y-M, Hannema SE, Achermann JC, Hughes IA. Disorders of sex development. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA; Elsevier; 2020:chap: 24.

    Guber HA, Oprea M, Rusell YX. Evaluation of endocrine function. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.

    Haddad NG, Eugster EA. Endocrinology of pubertal disorders. In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap: 103.

    White PC. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and related disorders. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 594.

    Schedule An Appointment

    Contact Atlanta Obsetrics and Gynaecology at The Womens Center Millennium Hospital - 404-ATL-BABY

    GO

    Review Date: 4/1/2023

    Reviewed By: John D. Jacobson, MD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.