Assessment of the developmental status of 3 to 5-year-old children with congenital hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine in Ardabil city

Abstract

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common preventative evolutionary disorders in newborns and children, which, if not treated promptly, leads to mental retardation and developmental disorders.  Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the developmental status of 3 to 5-year-old children with congenital hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine in Ardabil city in Northwest Iran.  Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 78 infants (44 boys and 34 girls) with congenital hypothyroidism under treatment with levothyroxine who referred to Ardabil city health centers during 2013-2018 were evaluated by an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) for their developmental status.  Results: In total, 32 (41%) were impaired and 46 (59%) were healthy according to the ASQ. Of those, 11 children (14.1%) had temporary congenital hypothyroidism. There was no significant difference in terms of height, weight, birth weight, maternal age, number of tests performed each year, average TSH (Thyroid-stimulating Hormone) in the first year of treatment, gender, place of residence, education and parental relationship between two impaired and healthy children. There was a significant relation between number of visits by doctor (p=0.02), age at diagnosis (p=0.001) and age at treatment time (p=0.003), initial dose of levothyroxine (p=0.02) with developmental status of children based on ASQ results.  Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that neonatal screening is one of the most successful health-system programs in the country, and the detection and initiation of hypothyroidism in neonates as soon as possible leads to a reduction in developmental disorder in them.