Abstract

YANISKOWSKI, María Lucy. Reference intervals for serum thyrotropin during the frst 14 days of life. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2012, vol.110, n.1, pp.27-34. ISSN 0325-0075.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2012.27.

Introduction. Early detection of congenital hy-pothyroidism (CH) prevents impaired cognitive and motor development at problems. To increase the screening program specifcity, we defned reference intervals for serum TSH in newborns between 2 and 14 days of life. Patients and methods. Newborn infants from our neonatal screening program between 2001 and 2007. Serum TSH was determined by elec-trochemiluminescence. There were excluded neonates who died before the frst month of life or with less than 1500 grams at birth, samples with TSH <0,01 µU/ml., processed after 14 days of life and from other medical centers. Statistical tools: Student t-tests, measures of centrality and dispersion, and logarithmic transformations. Results. Studied population: 6772 newborn infants out of 7869, 50.49% were males. The male/ female ratio was similar during the 14 days. The mean age at testing was 5.85 days (± 2.58), and the mean of TSH value was 4.42 µU/ml (± 4.17). Inverse relationship was found between age and TSH (mean TSH at days 2 and 14 was 5.82 µU/ ml and 2.58 respectively). Conclusion. We found statistical evidence on an inverse relationship between TSH and age in newborn infants whit 14 days of age. Reference intervals for TSH contribute to a better assessment of thyroid status in neonates and to defne an appropriate conduct for individual therapy.

Keywords : Serum thyotropin; Reference intervals; Neonatal period.

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