The pituitary produces a hormone called ADH that is responsible for keeping water in the body by controlling the amount of urine (pee) that is created. Without enough ADH a person cannot control the amount of urine and he or she loses too much water from the body (becomes dehydrated). The person feels very thirsty, has a dry mouth and yet continues to make large amounts of urine. If the child cannot get enough fluid to replace what is being lost in the urine, this can lead to dehydration and a very high level of sodium (a mineral) in the body. This dehydration can cause serious problems.

If this problem is suspected, your child may need to have blood and urine tests. Sometimes a special test called a water deprivation test needs to be done. This involves a test lasting up to 8 hours which is done in a hospital or specially equipped office. Your child will not be able to have anything to drink for the entire test. Blood and urine tests are done to see if the proper amount of ADH is being created.

If your child does not make enough ADH (called Diabetes Insipidus [DI] or water diabetes), treatment is available. The most common treatment is a medicine called DDAVP. It can be given in the nose, by mouth, or by injection.

Prolactin is another hormone made in the pituitary gland. Children with ONH often have abnormal levels of prolactin in their blood. This leads to no known health problems, but is often measured by the endocrinologist to test pituitary function.

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