Fetal and Neonatal this issue
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Neonatal "sick thyroid" syndrome has perplexed
neonatologists since it was recognised in the late 1970s. Apart
from one very early study by Schonberger et
al (Eur J Pediatr
1981;135:245-53) showing a reduction in
mortality when thyroxine was replaced, no benefits of giving thyroxine
to preterm babies have been shown. The neonatal team in Liverpool
decided to investigate the contribution of dietary iodine to thyroid
function (page F86). Preterm babies have as much difficulty keeping pace
with their iodine requirements as they do with other constituents of
their diet, and most preterm formulas (and preterm breast milk) contain
less iodine than some authorities recommend. Readers of this column
will remember that in May this year we carried an article reminding
readers of the potential dangers of large doses of iodine containing
radio-opaque dyes (Arch Dis
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