Abstract
Objective: to study the relationship between neonatal thyroid function and neurological outcome.
Methods: In 632 children born with gestational age < 32 weeks and/or birthweight < 1500 g (part of the POPS-study 1983). T4 values from the neonatal screening program on congenital hypothyroidism (day 5-17) were available as well as data on neurological impairment (Minor Neurological Dysfunction (MND, n-126) or Cerebral Palsy (CP, n-68). Univariate (parametric and non-parametrie 1-way Anova) and multivariate analysis (logistic regression analysis) were performed relating T4 to neurological impairment as outcome measure.
Results: the mean T4 value was lower in MND and in CP (Kruskal-Wallis: p=0.06; parametric Anova: p=0.05). This relationship was confirmed in the multivariate analysis; after correction for 10 possible confounding factors, a significant association was found between low T4 and neurological impairment (adding T4 as a continuous variable to the model with those 10 variables improved the fit significantly: likelihood ratio 4.1, p=0.04). In a subpopulation of 228 children with known grading of ICH, severity of ICH was found not to influence this association when added to the set of confounders.
Conclusion: transient neonatal hypothyroxinemia may be one of the preventable factors contributing to neurological impairment in preterm infants.
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Verloove-Vanhorick, S., Brand, R., Schreuder, A. et al. TRANSIENT NEONATAL HYPOTHYROXEMIA MAY CAUSE NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT. Pediatr Res 32, 619 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199211000-00088
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199211000-00088