Congenital Hypothyroidism

TITLE: Congenital Hypothyroidism 

Last Updated: April 30, 2021 

PARTICIPANTS: 

• Host: Dr. Zachary Hodges 
• Learner: Dr. John Baek 
• Specialist: Dr. Jacqueline Chan 

PEER REVIEWERS: 

• Dr. Christopher Houk 
• MCG Pediatric Podcast Committee

Free CME Credit: https://mcg.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=0&EID=7771

Learning Objectives: 

After listening to this podcast, learners should be able to: 

1. Recall the incidence of and risk factors associated with congenital hypothyroidism. 
2. Understand the importance of early diagnosis and the harms of delayed treatment. 
3. Understand the normal hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. 
4. Understand the methods of newborn screening for congenital hypothyroidism and interpret abnormal results. 
5. Create a differential diagnosis for the potential causes of congenital hypothyroidism.  
6. Recognize findings on physical exam that would support the diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism. 
7. Interpret confirmatory testing required to diagnose congenital hypothyroidism. 
8. Recognize that interpreting thyroid function tests should be considered in the context of special circumstances (i.e., premature infants). 
9. Initiate appropriate treatment for suspected congenital hypothyroidism. 
10. Understand the prognosis, need for continued close follow-up and common methods of weaning thyroid replacement therapy.  

 

Thank you for listening to this episode from the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia.  

If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback- you can email us at mcgpediatricpodcast@augusta.edu 

Remember that all content during this episode is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It should not be used as medical advice to diagnose or treat any particular patient. Clinical vignette cases presented are based on hypothetical patient scenarios 

 

References:

• Alejandro Diaz and Elizabeth G. Lipman Diaz. Hypothyroidism. Pediatrics in Review August 2014, 35 (8) 336-349; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.35-8-336
• Agrawal P, Philip R, Saran S, et al. Congenital hypothyroidism. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2015;19(2):221-227. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.131748
• Bowden SA, Goldis M. Congenital Hypothyroidism. [Updated 2020 Jun 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558913/ 
• Gammons S, Presley BK, White PC. Referrals for Elevated Thyroid Stimulating Hormone to Pediatric Endocrinologists. J Endocr Soc. 2019;3(11):2032-2040. Published 2019 Sep 16. doi:10.1210/js.2019-00244
• Alejandro Diaz and Elizabeth G. Lipman Diaz. Hypothyroidism. Pediatrics in Review August 2014, 35 (8) 336-349; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.35-8-336