Cretinism By: Ashley Peters

Description Form of hypothyroidism Lack of thyroid gland activity Causes very serious slowing in physical and mental development. Usually shows up in infants and children.

Cause Caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone at birth and during infancy. – As a result of abnormal development of the thyroid gland. – Can also be caused by a lack of iodine in the patient’s diet, or if the thyroid is diseased or removed because of a disease.

Signs/Symptoms Floppy infant Thick, protruding tongue Poor feeding Frequent choking Constipation Dull appearing facial features Dry, brittle hair and low hairline Short, thick neck Short Stature Short extremities

Diagnostic Procedures Diagnosis is confirmed by review of symptoms along with thyroid hormone blood tests. Based almost exclusively on checking the thyroid hormone level in the blood.

Treatment Vitally important that the condition is caught at the very early stages of the child’s birth. If the condition is caught early enough then the effects that have taken place have a chance of being reversed. Replacement Therapy Blood levels are closely monitored after replacement therapy.

Prognosis Very early diagnosis can result in a good outcome. Newborns diagnosed within the first month typically develop normal intelligence. Untreated Cretinism can develop in severe mental retardation and irreversible stunting of physical growth.

Prevention Can be prevented by iodine supplementation before conception, and iodine supplementation during the 2 nd trimester of pregnancy.