Intellectual outcome, motor skills and BMI of children with congenital hypothyroidism: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate intellectual outcome, motor skills and anthropometric data of children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH).


METHODS
Children with permanent CH who were born in 1999 in Bavaria were eligible for this prospective, population-based study. Cognitive performance was evaluated by the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and motor skills were assessed by the motor test, Motoriktest für vier-bis sechsjahrige Kinder (MOT) 4-6.


RESULTS
Eighteen of 21 eligible children participated (86%). Median age of the children was 5.5 years (range 4.9-5.8). Treatment with levothyroxine was started after a median of 7.2 days (range 4-15) with a median dose of 12.0 microg/kg (range 7.2-17.0). Mean intelligence quotient (IQ) of the children was 100.4 (standard deviation [SD] 10.1): no children had IQ values below the normal range. Reactivity and speed of movement were significantly reduced in children with CH. Children with an initial thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value of >200 mU/L performed significantly worse than children with TSH value of <or=200 mU/L (p=0.003). Children with CH had a significant increased risk for overweight (risk ratio [RR] 3.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22-11.75, p=0.005) compared to the Bavarian reference children.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, children with CH had an increased prevalence of overweight compared to reference data. Partially impaired motor skills could be shown, whereas the intellectual development was normal.
Arenz
Stephan
S
Department of Neonatology, Spital Zollikerberg, Zollikerberg, Zurich, Switzerland. stephan.arenz@gmx.de
Nennstiel-Ratzel
Uta
U
Wildner
Manfred
M
Dörr
Helmuth-Günther
HG
von Kries
Rüdiger
R
D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D009048:Motor Skills; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
D013972:Thyrotropin