I wanted to know about the symptoms of congenital thyroid insufficiency. How is it treated in newborns and what is the prognosis? Natalia from Rymanów
All newborns born in Poland have compulsory tests, the so-called screening tests to detect congenital hypothyroidism. Symptoms of the disease in the neonatal period are uncharacteristic and sometimes difficult to notice, therefore all children after birth, usually on day 4-5, are blood drawn on a special test tissue, marked with a bar code and the child's data. The code number is pasted into your child's he alth record book as proof of blood donation. During the patronage visit at home, the midwife checks whether the procedure has been performed. Newborns who have not collected blood receive a test paper along with an discharge card. Do not touch the test paper (6 discs) with your fingers. Newborns are collected for examination, the so-called capillary blood from the heel or finger and puts on the blotting paper by applying the unprinted side of the blotting paper to the blood. The sample is sent by registered mail to designated specialized laboratories. Screening laboratories are located in Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Poznań, Gdańsk, Łódź, Wrocław and Szczecin. Congenital hypothyroidism affects 1 in 4,000 newborns. The cause of the disease is underdevelopment (or lack) of the thyroid gland and the deficiency of the hormones produced by this gland. Thyroid hormones are responsible for the proper mental development of a child. Long-term deficiency of these hormones leads to impaired mental development. It is therefore necessary to start treating your baby with hormones in the first 4 weeks. Treatment should be continued throughout life. If the screening test result is positive (i.e. hypothyroidism is suspected), the child is called to the Endocrinology Clinic, where more detailed tests and treatment are performed.
Remember that our expert's answer is informative and will not replace a visit to the doctor.
Krystyna KnyplInternist, hypertensiologist, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta dla Lekarzy".
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