Chris McCutcheon

 Cretinism is when the brain and skeleton stop developing at a young age.

 Symptoms.  Large anterior fontanels.  Thickened skin.  Enlarged tongue.  Poor muscle tone.  Hoarse cry.  Protruding abdomen.  Short legs or arms.

 Every child that is born today is tested for Cretinism.

 Very early diagnosis will most likely results in a good outcome. Newborns that are diagnosed and treated within the first month slowly develop normal intelligence.

 Replacement therapy is the standard treatment of hypothyroidism. Once medication starts, thyroid blood tests are done to make sure levels are within normal range.

 This is a condition due to inadequate secretion of thyroid hormones during fetal life or early infancy. The brain and skeleton fail to develop properly, resulting in mental retardation and dwarfism. It is due to congenital deficiency in the secretion of hormone thyroxine from the thyroid gland. It is caused due to insufficient amount of iodine in the diet of the child?s mother during pregnancy.

 Anne Matthews, RN, PhD Director, Genetic Counseling and Family Studies Associate Professor Department of Genetics School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University Anne Matthews, RN, PhD Department of Genetics School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University

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