Relevance of the repetition of normal hTSH in premature babies

Abstract

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is an endocrine disease that is characterized by disturbances in thyroid function and changes in psychomotor development. High concentrations of hTSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) in the newborns blood are the first manifestation of CH, being this used for Newborn Screening (NBS) proposes. In newborns of low birth weight (<1500 g), in particular, those born prematurely (<30 weeks), is advised that NBS should be repeated, independently from the initial hTSH value, in a new sample collected two weeks after birth. Results from the revaluation of newborns whose immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid could mask CH, leading to false negative results, will be presented.N/