A Rare Case of Congenital Hypothyroidism

Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) is a common preventable cause of mental retardation. The incidence of CH is 1 in 2500 to 1 in 3000 newborns. Most common causes are thyroid dysgenesis and dyshormonogenesis. Some disorder like maternal autoantibodies, maternal intake of anti thyroid medication, iodine deficiency or iodine excess can result in transient CH. Common symptoms include decreased activity and increased sleep, feeding difficulty, constipation, and prolonged jaundice. In this case report, A 3 day old baby was admitted to SNCU with chief complain of yellowish discoloration upto abdomen and respiratory distress. On examination, common signs include myxedematous facies, large fontanels, macroglossia, a distended abdomen with umbilical hernia, and hypotonia. Thyroid dysgenesis accounts for 85% of permanent, primary CH, while inborn errors of thyroid hormone biosynthesis (dyshormonogeneses) account for 10-15% of cases. Secondary or central CH may occur with isolated TSH deficiency, but more commonly it is associated with congenital hypopitiutarism. Transient CH most commonly occurs in preterm infants born.