© 2005 BMJ Publishing Group & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
PERSPECTIVE
Endocrinology
Congenital hypothyroidism
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Prof. J H Lazarus
Professor of Clinical Endocrinology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK; Lazarus@cf.ac.uk
Commentary on the paper by Oerbeck et al (see page 132)
Keywords: neonatal; psychological; hypothyroidism; thyroxine
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The introduction of neonatal screening programmes for congenital hypothyroidism in the 1970s is now regarded as a highly cost effective strategy to detect the commonest congenital metabolic disorder seen in the newborn (1 in around 4000 births).1 There is no doubt that early diagnosis and treatment of the condition has led to the disappearance of mental retardation, which was the most dramatic long term sequel of congenital hypothyroidism.2 However, it has been clearly recognised that persistent selective impairments may still occur in these children, such as language delays, minor motor problems, visuospatial defects, and attention problems.3 Also, postnatal somatic abnormalities including an accelerated cranial growth4 and delayed bone age5 to 3 years have been observed, especially in children given high starting doses of levothyroxine. Initially, starting doses of thyroxine were in the range of 8–10 µg/kg/day,6 but the dose was later revised upwards to 10–16 µg/kg/day.7 There is clearly
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- Congenital hypothyroidism: no adverse effects of high dose thyroxine treatment on adult memory, attention, and behaviour
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Arch. Dis. Child. 2005 90: 132-137.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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