title: Neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration and psychomotor development at preschool age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thyroid hormones are essential for normal brain development. The aim of this study is to assess if high concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) that is below the clinical threshold (5-15 mIU/L) at neonatal screening is linked to psychomotor development impairments in the offspring at preschool age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 284 Belgian preschool children 4-6 years old and their mothers were included in the study. The children were randomly selected from the total list of neonates screened in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by the Brussels newborn screening centre. The sampling was stratified by gender and TSH range (0.45-15 mIU/L). Infants with congenital hypothyroidism (>15 mIU/L), low birth weight and/or prematurity were excluded. Psychomotor development was assessed using the Charlop-Atwell scale of motor coordination. The iodine status of children was determined using median urinary iodine concentration. Socioeconomic, parental and child potential confounding factors were measured through a self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TSH level was not significantly associated with total motor score (average change in z-score per unit increase in TSH is 0.02 (-0.03, 0.07), p=0.351), objective motor score (p=0.794) and subjective motor score (p=0.124). No significant associations were found using multivariate regression model to control confounding factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild thyroid dysfunction in the newborn-reflected by an elevation of TSH that is below the clinical threshold (5-15 mIU/L)-was not associated with impaired psychomotor development at preschool age.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trumpff
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Schepper
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanderfaeillie
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vercruysse
authors.affiliation: Unit of Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Oyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno-Reyes
authors.affiliation: Unit of Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tafforeau
authors.affiliation: Unit of Public Health and Surveillance, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vandevijvere
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013972:Thyrotropin
keywords: iodine deficiency; pregnancy; preschool children; psychomotor development; thyroid-stimulating hormone