Frequency of congenital hypothyroidism in neonates in the Konya region, Turkey.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) resulting from deficient production of thyroid hormone is one of the most commonly encountered diseases in pediatric endocrinology. Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in normal cerebral and growth maturation. These harmful effects on the cerebral and growth maturation can be prevented by early diagnosis and sufficient treatment in the first weeks of life. Diagnosis must be determined immediately within days after birth and effective treatment must begin. Unfortunately, despite the presence of national neonatal screening programs, CH cases are still rarely seen. In our study, it was aimed to assess the outcome of having determined an early diagnosis of CH and initiating treatment with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) screening test on live born babies over a period of 7 years in our hospital. With this aim, 93,897 live births were evaluated in the Doctor Faruk Sükan Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital between the years of 1999 and 2007. All neonates were screened with the TSH test. CH was determined in 43 (1/2183) of all cases and treatment was begun. The importance of this test was emphasized in that the test should be performed routinely on all neonates to obtain an early diagnosis and so that treatment for CH can begin.