Congenital hypothyroidism

Common card · No. 246646

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a thyroid hormone deficiency present at birth. If untreated soon after birth, severe congenital hypothyroidism can lead to growth failure and permanent intellectual disability. Untreated congenital hypothyroidism is also referred to as cretinism. Infants born with congenital hypothyroidism may be asymptomatic, or may display mild symptoms that go unrecognized as a problem. Significant deficiency may cause excessive sleeping, reduced interest in nursing, poor muscle tone, low or hoarse cry, infrequent bowel movements, significant jaundice, and low body temperature. Causes of congenital hypothyroidism include iodine deficiency, developmental defect in the thyroid gland or the hypothalamus/pituitary either due to a genetic defect or an unknown cause, or dysfunction of the thyroid gland or the thyroid hormone. The source of the CH can occur at the level of the hypothalamus/pituitary gland (central CH) or the thyroid gland (primary CH). In both cases, the initial...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Dr. Hudson, Public domain