Growth studies in infants and children with Down's syndrome and elevated levels of thyrotropin
T. Sharav, R. M. Collins Jr and P. J. Baab
Hadassah-WIZO-Canada Research Institute, Jerusalem, Israel.
A retrospective survey of 147 patients with Down's syndrome (age range, 4
months to 27 years) showed that 60% had a thyrotropin (TSH) level higher
than 5.7 mU/L in the presence of high or normal thyroxine levels. The
remaining 40% of the group had low to normal TSH values. High TSH levels
were predominant in patients under 4 years of age (94 children), ie, during
the phase of active growth, and showed a declining trend with increasing
age. All 94 infants had delayed growth of all parameters including head
circumference, height, and weight, as compared with normal infants, and
growth was particularly retarded in patients with TSH levels greater than
5.7 mU/L. Thyroid dysfunction, expressed as a high TSH concentration, is
associated with growth retardation in children with Down's syndrome who are
younger than 4 years.
