Episodes of overtreatment during the first six months in children with congenital hypothyroidism and their relationships with sustained attention and inhibitory control at school age.
OBJECTIVE
Contradictory results regarding the optimal initial dose of levothyroxine in children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) hamper the clinical management of these children during their early infancy. We explore the relationships between the initial dose of levothyroxine and endocrine control during the first 6 months and cognition at school age.


METHODS
Fifty children with CH, 14 boys (10+/-3.1 years) and 36 girls (9.7+/-2.6 years), at the Pediatric Endocrine Unit of the Hospital Gregorio Marañón in Madrid were studied. Neurocognitive evaluation was carried out exploring alertness and inhibitory control. The number of episodes of overtreatment during the first 6 months, the initial dose of levothyroxine, etiology and sex were the predictor variables.


RESULTS
Inhibitory control was significantly lower in children with CH than in controls. An interaction with gender and etiology was obtained. Alertness had an inverse relationship with the number of episodes of overtreatment with no interaction with gender or etiology.


CONCLUSIONS
Episodes of overtreatment and not the initial dose of levothyroxine are a risk factor for deficit in alertness whereas subtle inhibitory control deficit seems to be a permanent problem with the current therapeutic approach.
Alvarez
M
M
Faculty of Psychology, University of Havana, Cuba. malv@infomed.sld.cu
Iglesias Fernández
C
C
Rodríguez Sánchez
A
A
Dulín Lñiguez
E
E
Rodríguez Arnao
M D
MD
D002648:Child; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D056344:Executive Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine