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Incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano: benefit of increased iodine intake

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Abstract

Purpose

Although a nation-wide salt iodization program on voluntary basis was implemented in 2005, many areas in our country are still characterized by mild iodine deficiency. Differently from the rest of Italy, an efficient program of iodine prophylaxis was implemented in 1981 in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an adequate iodine intake in the population may affect the incidence of permanent congenital hypothyroidism (CH).

Methods

The incidence trends of permanent CH between 1987 and 2006 in Bolzano Province and in the rest of Italy were estimated.

Results

Over the years, the CH incidence has remained steadily lower in Bolzano than in the rest of the country.

Conclusions

Primary prevention of permanent CH may be possible by assuring an adequate nutritional iodine intake in the population. However, the time needed to observe a decrease in the incidence of CH is about a decade under conditions of iodine sufficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by Project No. RF2010-2309484.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Rome, Italy

    A. Olivieri

  2. Department of Paediatrics, General Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy

    G. Radetti

  3. National Centre for Epidemiology Surveillance and Health Promotion, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy

    E. Medda

Authors
  1. A. Olivieri
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  2. G. Radetti
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  3. E. Medda
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Consortia

The Italian Study Group for Congenital Hypothyroidism

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Olivieri.

Additional information

The list of the members of the Italian Study Group for Congenital Hypothyroidism is given in “Appendix”.

Appendix

Appendix

The list of the members of the Italian Study Group for Congenital Hypothyroidism is given below:

Representatives of the Italian Screening and Follow-up Centers for Congenital Hypothyroidism: R. Altamura, A. Angeloni, S. Bernasconi, G. Bona, I. Bucci, F. Calaciura, M. Camilot M. Cappa, C. Carducci, U. Caruso, A. Cassio, L. Cavallo, G. Cesaretti, F. Chiarelli, B. Ciannamea, R. Ciatti, MP Cicciò, C. Corbetta, P. Costa, F. De Luca, G. Gallicchio, R. Gastaldi, G. Grasso, R. Gurrado, A. Lelli, D. Leonardi, S. Loche, R. Lorini, G. Minelli, G.Napolitano, P. Narducci, N. Oggiano, V.Pafundi, S. Pagliardini, G. Parlato, E. Pasquini, S.Pilia, M. Pizzolante, F. Righetti, A. Rizzo, MC. Salerno, D. Scognamiglio, V. Stoppioni, M. Tonacchera, G. Vignola, M. C. Vigone, G. Weber.

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Olivieri, A., Radetti, G., Medda, E. et al. Incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano: benefit of increased iodine intake. J Endocrinol Invest 38, 185–187 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0206-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-014-0206-2

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