Screening of congenital hypothyroidism in Qazvin Province (2006-2008)

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in children and a preventable cause of mental retardation. Treatment with thyroid hormones must be initiated before the fourth week after birth to avoid irreversible CH complications. Objective: Study conducted to determine the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism in newborns in Qazvin province in 2006 to 2008. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted based on data collected through the Neonatal CH Screening Project in Qazvin Province during two years between March 2006 and March 2008. All newborns in rural and urban areas were screened at the third to fifth days of their lives. TSH concentration was tested by filter paper and ELISA. Findings: A total of 33488 neonates were screened. The coverage rates of screening in the first and second years and also the recall rates during the same period were 84%, 95%, 2.6%, and 3.2%, respectively. The incidence rate of hypothyroidism was one per 446 newborns (0.22%) in the first year and one per 447 newborns (0.22%) in second year. Among the neonates with hypothyroidism, 40%, 26.7%, and 33.3% were found to have TSH levels of 5-9.9, 10-19.9 and values > 20 mU/L, respectively. Conclusion: The Neonatal Screening Program for CH was shown to have a high caliber to be implemented as the first screening test for newborns at a nationwide level. This could provide a basis for better understanding and timely detection of CH and other metabolic diseases in the country.