Treatment of Congenital Hypothyroidism: Impact of Secular Changes in Levothyroxine Initial Dose on Early Growth
Authors' conclusion
Current treatment practice with higher LT4 dose normalizes TSH rapidly without significant increase in side effects. However, irrespective of initial LT4 dose, children were shorter than expected at 2 years of age. Effects of different initial LT4 dose on cognitive development urges further investigation.
Study context
- Population
- Finnish patients with congenital hypothyroidism born 1980–2018, followed to age 2 years
- Participants
- 172 patients
- Exposure
- Levothyroxine (LT4) starting dose by birth decade
- 1980sn = 19reference
- 1990sn = 50
- 2000sn = 59
- 2010sn = 44
- Outcome
- TSH, fT4, growth and treatment-related symptoms
- Follow-up
- First 2 years of life
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) higher in children born in the 1980s vs those born later
- TSH often subnormal with higher LT4 doses (2000s and 2010s)
- Symptoms of overtreatment uncommon
- No differences in linear or head growth between groups
- All groups shorter than target length at 2 years; weight-for-length above mean through first 2 years
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Treatment of Congenital Hypothyroidism: Impact of Secular Changes in Levothyroxine Initial Dose on Early Growth. Horm Res Paediatr. Published 7 December 2022. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →