Adult height in congenital hypothyroidism: prognostic factors and the importance of compliance with treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To study the growth, puberty and compliance of 66 hypothyroid children and to determine prognostic factors for adult height.


METHODS
66 children were included (12 boys, 54 girls). Aetiologies were 43 ectopic glands, 14 thyroid agenesis, 9 dyshormonogenesis.


RESULTS
In girls the mean adult height was 164.7 +/- 6.5 cm for a target height (TH) of 162.8 +/- 5.4 cm. In boys the mean adult height was 178.2 +/- 6.4 cm for a TH of 175.7 +/- 4.7 cm. Puberty development was normal. Children who exceeded their TH had an earlier start of treatment versus children who failed to reach their TH: 24.8 +/- 13.5 vs. 42.0 +/- 47.3 days, p = 0.004. Delayed normalisation of TSH is a risk factor for bad compliance. Adequate correlations between treatment variables appeared only in children who exceeded their TH.


CONCLUSIONS
TH, day of start of treatment and compliance with treatment are the main prognostic factors for adult height. Early detection of bad compliance is possible.
Bain
Philippa
P
General Outpatient Clinic, Hôpital St-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris, France.
Toublanc
Jean-Edmond
JE
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011379:Prognosis; D011627:Puberty; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000002:abnormalities; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine