Assessment of the developmental status of 3 to 5-year-old children with congenital hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine in Ardabil city

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is one of the most common preventative evolutionary disorders in newborns and children, which, if not treated promptly, leads to mental retardation and developmental disorders. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the developmental status of 3 to 5-year-old children with congenital hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine in Ardabil city in Northwest Iran. Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 78 infants (44 boys and 34 girls) with congenital hypothyroidism under treatment with levothyroxine who referred to Ardabil city health centers during 2013-2018 were evaluated by an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) for their developmental status. Results: In total, 32 (41%) were impaired and 46 (59%) were healthy according to the ASQ. Of those, 11 children (14.1%) had temporary congenital hypothyroidism. There was no significant difference in terms of height, weight, birth weight, maternal age, number of tests performed each year, average TSH (Thyroidstimulating Hormone) in the first year of treatment, gender, place of residence, education and parental relationship between two impaired and healthy children. There was a significant relation between number of visits by doctor (p=0.02), age at diagnosis (p=0.001) and age at treatment time (p=0.003), initial dose of levothyroxine (p=0.02) with developmental status of children based on ASQ results. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that neonatal screening is one of the most successful health-system programs in the country, and the detection and initiation of hypothyroidism in neonates as soon as possible leads to a reduction in developmental disorder in them.