How Do Doctors Treat Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD)?
Treatment for DSD is based on what is causing the condition. You and your family are an important part of your baby’s care team. Doctors will talk with you about your baby’s condition and their sex of rearing. The sex of rearing is the sex assigned to your baby before they go home. The care team can help you make the decision about your baby’s sex. This does not have to be a permanent decision. As babies grows up, they can learn how to express their gender identity.
Many babies grow up to be comfortable with their sex of rearing. However, some babies with DSD decide they might be more comfortable with a different gender when they are older. Emotional and psychological support from you and your baby’s care team is important no matter what decisions are made.
Depending on the reason for DSD, some people may not be fertile because their bodies cannot make eggs or sperm. However, this does not interfere with the ability to lead a good life, to marry (if wished), adopt children (if wished) or have children by other means. If you have questions or concerns about your baby’s fertility when they are older, please ask the care team.
About Your Baby's Care at MGHfC
When babies with DSD are born, it takes a well-organized team of doctors and other medical providers to understand why DSD has happened and provide the best care possible. In some cases, people with DSD receive diagnoses long after birth. At MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), our team-based, family-centered approach can help manage your baby’s condition and help them have the best possible life. Throughout their life, your baby might see many specialists, including endocrinologists (hormone doctor), geneticists (genetics doctors), specialized surgeons (who can help treat physical genital differences), psychiatrists, psychologists (mental health doctors) and social workers. At MGHfC, you and your family are also important members of the care team.
The sex determined by the chromosome is also important. Babies who have XX chromosomes usually have different reasons for DSD than those who have XY chromosomes. Based on your baby’s test results, they can help develop a care plan.