In the past two decades, “developmental origin of health and disease” has gradually become a research hotspot. Fetal programming has become an important theory to understand the programming of lifetime health (Fleming et al., 2018). Glucocorticoids are an important switch in body development and are required for normal fetal growth and maturation (Busada and Cidlowski, 2017, Ishimoto and Jaffe, 2011, Reynolds, 2013). However, fetal development is susceptible to both internal and external environmental stimuli. A large number of studies have shown that exposure to glucocorticoids during pregnancy can lead to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), multiple organ dysplasia, and susceptibility to a variety of chronic diseases in adulthood (Moisiadis & Matthews, 2014). Glucocorticoids secreted by the adrenal gland is an important type of hormone regulating the metabolism of sugar, fat and protein in the body, which has been confirmed to play an important role in the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases (Moisiadis & Matthews, 2014). Therefore, adrenal development and homeostasis are essential for life processes. Based on the latest research reports at home and abroad, this article reviews the research progress of aberrant adrenal development in offspring induced by glucocorticoids exposure during pregnancy and its intrauterine programming mechanism, so as to provide theoretical and experimental basis for the effective evaluation of harmful factors during pregnancy and the exploration of early prevention and treatment strategies of fetal-originated diseases from the perspective of adrenal developmental programming.