PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J A Hulse
TI  - Outcome for congenital hypothyroidism.
AID  - 10.1136/adc.59.1.23
DP  - 1984 Jan 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 23--29
VI  - 59
IP  - 1
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/59/1/23.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/59/1/23.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child1984 Jan 01; 59
AB  - In a study designed to provide retrospective control data for a neonatal thyroid screening programme, the problems of 141 hypothyroid children were examined. The mean IQ (Weschler intelligence scale) was 79.5 for children with congenital hypothyroidism but was normal in 6 children diagnosed before age 6 weeks. Diagnostic delay was associated with a steady decline in mean IQ but there was an improvement in some late diagnosed cases. A strong association was found between IQ and parental social class. Twenty five percent of the children were mentally retarded and 29% were at special schools; 54% of children at normal schools and 43% at special schools showed deviant behaviour. Other problems included clumsiness (26.2%) and squints (26.2%), and these were more common in children with a lower IQ. Congenital hypothyroidism is associated with persistent morbidity in many aspects of cerebral function. The adverse effects of prenatal hypothyroidism are largely reversible if treated before age 6 weeks.