GOITER PREVALENCE IN CHILDREN IMMIGRATING FROM AN ENDEMIC GOITER AREAIN ETHIOPIA TO ISRAEL

A survey study was performed to assess the prevalence of goiter and th yroid dysfunction in a population of 534 Ethiopian children, one year after arrival in Israel, The overall prevalence of goiter was 43.6%. C hildren in the age group 1-2 years had the lowest prevalence of goiter (6.7%), A progressive increase in goiter prevalence and size,vith age was observed, with peak occurrence around puberty for both boys (56.7 %) and girls (72.2%), Serum FT4 levels were elevated in 4 children; el evated serum TSH levels (above 4.5 mIU/l) were found in 11 children, a ll of them had normal FT4 levels, Thus the prevalence of hypothyroidis m and hyperthyroidism was 2% and 0.8%, respectively, with an even dist ribution across the various age groups. All the children were clinical ly normal, The high prevalence of goiter in this group of Ethiopian ch ildren with the low frequency of hypothyroidism may be attributed to t he combined effects of food goitrogens and iodine deficiency prevailin g in Ethiopia. The standard Israeli diet seems to be adequate in respe ct to iodine requirements, and no iodine enrichment is needed for chil dren immigrating from Ethiopia.