‘Early detection key to treating congenital hypothyroidism’

CHENNAI: When Madhu,1, was suffering from severe constipation and was not active like babies her age, her parents thought something was amiss. A test revealed she had congenital hypothyroidism, a condition that can impact a child’s physical and mental growth, but can be reversed if detected early.
Endocrinologists who insist on compulsory newborn screening say while 1 in 1172 babies is affected in India by congenital hypothyroidism, the situation is much worse in Chennai with one in 768 children suffering from it.Hypothyroidism is a treatable metabolic condition which is not clinically evident in newborns and can do irreversible damage to brain, warned Dr Suresh of Fetal Care Foundation.
Babies with this condition display symptoms like lethargy, constipation, floppiness and unusual weight gain. “When babies are in the womb, the mother’s thyroid hormone is passed on to them. But problems arise after they are born and the supply gets cut off,” said senior endocrinologist Dr Jayashree Gopal of Apollo Hospitals. The condition should be caught within four months of birth before the nerve coverings are formed, she added. “Ideally, screening should be done within 4-7 days of birth. If treatment begins late, though the child would show minor signs of improvement, a complete reversal would be impossible,” said Dr Gopal.
Lack of awareness has led to a significant number of babies being afflicted. “These children should be given thyroxin supplements in the form of tablets which have remarkable results. Considering that this is a treatable condition, the state government should make screening compulsory,” she said.
Dr Suresh said the Foundation petitioned the government to make thyroid screening mandatory so doctors could diagnose and treat the problem early. ‘The government insists on a master check-up for everyone beyond 50 years of age, but screening for newborns is more essential,” he said. The cost of a simple thyroid test would be less than Rs 400, but benefits of screening outweigh the cost, he added.
Janani.Sampath1
@timesgroup.com