Hypothyroxinemia of prematurity: cause, diagnosis and management

Abstract

Infants born at extreme prematurity are at a high risk of developmental disability. A major risk factor for disability is having a low level of thyroid hormone, described as hypothyroxinemia, which is recognized to be a frequent phenomenon in these infants. At present, there is uncertainty among clinicians regarding the most appropriate method of managing hypothyroxinemia of prematurity. The literature suggests that some, but not all, forms of thyroid supplementation may reduce the incidence of disability in infants born at extreme prematurity. There is a pressing need to confirm the benefit of treatment and to establish the optimal way to treat transient hypothyroxinemia in these infants.

Keywords::

• hypothyroxinemia
• prematurity
• thyroid hormones
• thyroxine T4

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Michael Weindling, Mark Turner, Carrol Gamble and Mohammed Didi for their continuing support and encouragement.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author is the recepient of the Medical Research Council Clinical Research Fellowship grant (Ref: G0501788). The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.