Hypothyroidism in children with Down’s syndrome: a hospital based study

Abstract

Background: Children with Down’s syndrome have a high incidence of associated treatable medical disorders. Hypothyroidism occurs with increased frequency in individuals with Down’s syndrome. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of hypothyroidism in children with Down’s syndrome. Methods: This study was conducted at Department of Pediatrics, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from October 2006 to September 2007, on 50 children with Down’s syndrome to find out the frequency of hypothyroidism. Thyroid function tests were performed in all these children. Results: Among 50 children with Down’s syndrome 30(60%) were males and 20(40%) females. Age of majority 21(42%) was less than 1 year in 18(36%) cases age ranged from 1-5 years with mean age of 3.1291+3.65 years. Majority of the patient’s mothers 17 (34%) were in the age range of 31-35 years. Frequency of hypothyroidism was found to be 3 (6%). Conclusion: Frequency of hypothyroidism in children with Down’s syndrome is 6%.