Developmental Skills of Children with and Without Congenital Hypothyroidism

Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrinology diseases in children. Given the importance of evaluating the normal growth and development and identifying growth and
development abnormalities, this study aimed to evaluate the developmental skills of patients with congenital hypothyroidism and healthy children.

This controlled cross-sectional study recruited 30 children with congenital hypothyroidism and 30 healthy children aged three to five years who presented to endocrine clinic of 17 Shahrivar Hospital in Rasht. Ages and Stages Questionnaire, with 5 developmental domains of communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving, and personal-social skills was completed.

Comparison of the two groups revealed no significant difference between the groups in the domains of gross motor, problem solving, and personal-social skills (P>0.05), while there was a significant difference between them in the domains of communication and fine motor skills (P<0.05). Although lower mean scores of all skills were noted in patients with congenital hypothyroidism, the scores were acceptable.

Based on the results, it appears that addressing congenital hypothyroidism and its complications can affect children’s health.