Low Thyroid Levels in Babies May Retard Mental Development
From Times staff and wire reports
Low levels of thyroid hormones in newborns, a condition long thought to be harmless, may retard mental development and contribute to cerebral palsy, according to a report in the March 28 New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Mary Lynn Reuss and her colleagues at Columbia University found that babies with severe drops in thyroid hormone after birth were four times more likely than other youngsters to suffer disabling cerebral palsy. At age 2, their scores on mental development tests averaged 7 points lower than average, which is 100.
It is not clear whether babies would benefit from hormone replacement therapy because the treatment might carry hazards.
