Abstract
A two-year experience in screening for congenital hypothyroidism has shown new problems concerning evaluation of borderline values especially in prematures. In order to elucidate neonatal thyroid status we examined TSH, T4, T3,reverse T3(rT3) and TBG in 80 full-term(FT),20 small-for-gestational-age(SGA) and 70 pre-mature(P) newborns. Approved by our local ethical committee, blood was drawn together with clinically indicated blood examinations between 5th and 30th day of life.RESULTS: TSH(2,9 uU/ml)did not differ from FT in SGA and P. T4,T3,rT3 and TBG-levels rose with gestational age: T4 89-120ng/ml; T3 1,4-1,7ng/ml; rT3 0,54 - 1,38ng/ml; TBG 23,7-27,3mg/l. FT-values were reached by P at a “gestational” age of 40-42 weeks. There is no difference between SGA and FT. CONCLUSION: Relatively low TBG-levels and a supposed immaturity of thyroid gland seem to account for lowered peripheral thyroid hormones in P. This assumption is supported by the absence of TSH-stimulation of thyroid gland developmentin P in spite of low circulating thyroid hormones.
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Klett, M., Mayer, P. & Schönberg, D. Neonatal thyroid function in fullterm, small-for-gestational-age and premature newborns. Pediatr Res 12, 1085 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197811000-00021
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197811000-00021