CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM - AUXOLOGICAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY DURING THE FIRST 6 YEARS OF AGE

We examined length, height and weight from birth to six years of age a nd head circumference during the first two years in 89 children with c ongenital hypothyroidism (CH). The patients were divided in two groups : children diagnosed by clinical criteria during the first year of lif e (group A) and children detected by neonatal screening (group B). Gro up A showed a complete catch up growth for height and weight 10 months after the beginning of the replacement therapy; to the contrary, grou p B did not show any difference for height and weight compared to norm al standards. Head circumference, evaluated only in group B, was signi ficantly higher in comparison with normal standards, When etiology of CH was taken into consideration, children with athyreosis showed a sig nificantly lower length at birth and at three months of age and their growths curves normalized after institution of replacement therapy, In conclusion our data suggest a direct relationship between severity an d duration of hormone deficiency and growth retardation and confirm th at replacement therapy started within the first year of live in CH pat ients clinically diagnosed allows a catch up growth.