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Thyroid status of iodine deficient newborn infants living in central region of Turkey: a pilot study

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Abstract

Background

Iodine deficiency (ID) during the fetal and neonatal periods can lead to neonatal hypothyroidism. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ID on the thyroid hormone level of newborns living in Turkey.

Methods

Between 1998 and 2013, 71 newborns with a urinary iodine concentration <100 μg/L were recruited into the study. Data on thyroid volume, free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroglobulin (Tg) were collected from all newborns, and on breast milk iodine from their mothers. Infants who were classified as having congenital hypothyroidism (TSH >40 mU/L and fT4 <8.5 pmol/L) were treated with levothyroxine (n=26, T group), while the remaining infants remained untreated (n=45, UT group). Thyroid hormones were subsequently measured 7-14 days later in a sub-sample of both treated and untreated infants.

Results

The average values at the time of admission were as follows [median (min-max)]. fT3: 5.0 (2.8-7.1) pmol/L, fT4: 7.7 (0.13-19.1) pmol/L, TSH: 75 (14-426) mU/L, Tg: 464 (226-1100) ng/mL, urinary iodine concentration (UIC): 30 (0-61) μg/L, breast milk iodine levels: 21 (10-150) μg/L, thyroid ultrasound (USG): 1.10 (0.24-1.95) mL for the T group; and fT3: 5.7 (1.7-12.7) pmol/L, fT4: 16.2 (9.9-33.5) pmol/L, TSH: 5.4 (0.63-41.8) mU/L, Tg: 171 (15-2124) ng/mL, UIC: 39 (0-90) μg/L, breast milk iodine levels: 47 (10-120) μg/L, thyroid USG: 0.75 (0.35-1.72) mL for the UT group. A significant difference was found between groups in respect to fT3, fT4, TSH and Tg levels. No significant difference in thyroid ultrasonography, UIC, and breast milk iodine levels was found between the two groups. The Tg levels of 50 out of 71 patients were measured, 40 (80%) of whom had Tg levels above the normal range (101 ng/mL).

Conclusions

In our country, despite the use of iodized salt, congenital hypothyroidism due to ID remains a problem. The Tg level of newborns can be used as a good indicator of ID.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Chiesi for the unconditional contributions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Talas Street, Kayseri, 38039, Turkey

    Osman Bastug, Levent Korkmaz, Hulya Halis, Sabriye Korkut, Ahmet Ozdemir & Selim Kurtoglu

  2. Department of Neonatology, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey

    Seyma Memur, Tamer Gunes & Mehmet Adnan Ozturk

Authors
  1. Osman Bastug
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  2. Levent Korkmaz
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  3. Hulya Halis
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  4. Seyma Memur
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  5. Sabriye Korkut
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  6. Ahmet Ozdemir
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  7. Tamer Gunes
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  8. Mehmet Adnan Ozturk
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  9. Selim Kurtoglu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Osman Bastug.

Additional information

Funding: No funding.

Ethical approval: The study was approved by Ethics Board of Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine (approval number: 2014/14).

Competing interest: None declared.

Contributors: Kurtoglu S proposed the study. Bastug O wrote the first draft. All authors contributed to the design and interpretation of the study and to the further drafts.

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Bastug, O., Korkmaz, L., Halis, H. et al. Thyroid status of iodine deficient newborn infants living in central region of Turkey: a pilot study. World J Pediatr 13, 479–484 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-017-0017-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-017-0017-6

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