EVALUATION OF SCREENING FOR THYROID FUNCTION IN HIGH RISK NEWBORNS

Abstract

Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the most common preventable causes of mental retardation, which has an overall incidence of approximately I in 4000 newborns.

The diagnosis and treatment of infants with congenital hypothyroidism has been greatly facilitated by the advent of screening programs based on filter paper methodology.

The current trend to early discharge tends to increase the number of infants diagnosed as early transient hypothyroidism due to higher TSH concentrations within the first 3 days of life.

Transient hypothyroidism represents a condition that closely resembles mild hypothyroidism. This condition can also occuring in association with prematurity, sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome and birth asphyxia.

This work was can•ied out on 69 high risk neonates , they were classified into 2 groups, Full-term high risk and Pre-term high risk newborns, 46 healthy full-term newborns of matched age and sex served as control group.