CONGENITAL-ANOMALIES IN INFANTS WITH CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM - IS IT A COINCIDENTAL OR AN ASSOCIATED FINDING

During the period between December 1988 and February 1995, a total of 279,482 newborn infants were screened in the regional neonatal screeni ng program for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in Riyadh province, Saud i Arabia. Eighty-one infants were confirmed to have CH giving an incid ence of I in 3,450. Variable congenital anomalies, other than those of the thyroid gland, were present in 16 (19.8%). The anomalies most fre quently encountered were congenital heart defects (7), unclassified mu ltiple congenital anomalies (5) and Down's syndrome (2). The results o f our study confirm this association, and emphasize the need to search for such anomalies in infants born with CH. Nationwide studies, howev er, on birth defects in the general population and those associated wi th CH are still needed to help us understanding the role of local gene tic and environmental factors.