Objective: Prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in Turkey at birth was reported to be as high as 1:650 in 2008-2010. Incidence rates of permanent and transient CH separately are unknown due to lack of follow-up data. We aimed to evaluate the impact of transient hypothyroidism on increasing incidence of CH and to determine the natural course and the clinical, biochemical, and imaging characteristics of transient CH.Methods: Baseline and follow-up data of the infants with CH detected at screening in six provinces in the Black Sea Region were analyzed retrospectively during a time period covering the years 2008-2010.Results: Among 138 cases (48% female), 16 (12%) showed transient hyperthyrotropinemia which resolved without intervention. Of the treated 122 cases, 63 (52%) had transient CH. While its frequency was 35% in 2008, it increased to 56% in 2009-2010, following a lowering of the thyroid stimulating hormone cutoff value. The frequency was higher in inland provinces than in coast (67% vs. 43%; p=0.01).Clinical characteristics of permanent and transient cases were similar except female-to-male sex ratios (1.5:1 vs. 0.6:1; p=0.02). L-thyroxine was discontinued in 70% of transient cases before 3 years of age at a median age of 19 (2-36) months. The only indication for early discontinuation of treatment was a low L-thyroxine dose, which was 1.25±0.27 µg/kg/day at withdrawal time.Conclusion: Our regional follow-up data showed that more than half of newborns with primary CH had transient thyroid dysfunction. In the majority of cases, discrimination between transient and permanent CH can be made before age 3 years, as indicated by cessation of L-thyroxine treatment.

Pediatric cases of vitamin D intoxication (VDI) with dietary supplements have not been previously reported. We report on 7 children with VDI caused by consumption of a fish oil supplement containing an excessively high dose of vitamin D due to a manufacturing error. Seven children aged between 0.7 and 4.2 years were admitted with symptoms of hypercalcemia. Initial median (range) serum concentrations of calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were 16.5 (13.4-18.8) mg/dL and 620 (340-962) ng/mL, respectively. Repeated questioning of the parents revealed use of a fish oil that was produced recently by a local manufacturer. Analysis of the fish oil by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed that the vitamin D 3 content was ∼4000 times the labeled concentration. Estimated daily amounts of vitamin D 3 intake varied between 266 000 and 800 000 IU. Patients were successfully treated with intravenous hydration, furosemide, and pamidronate infusions. With treatment, serum calcium returned to the normal range within 3 days (range: 2-7 days). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels normalized within 2 to 3 months. Complications, including nephrocalcinosis, were not observed throughout the 1-year followup. In conclusion, errors in manufacturing of dietary supplements may be a cause of VDI in children. Physicians should be aware of this possibility in unexplained VDI cases and repeatedly question the families about dietary supplement use. To prevent the occurrence of such unintentional incidents, manufacturers must always monitor the levels of ingredients of their products and should be rigorously overseen by governmental regulatory agencies, as is done in the pharmaceutical industry. Pediatrics 2014;133:e240-e244 Vitamin D intoxication (VDI) is a rare condition today. Over the past 40 years, it has been usually described as a result of unintentional conditions, such as contamination of cooking oil, 1-3 overfortification of milk, 4,5 or adulteration of table sugar. 6 VDI associated with overthe-counter dietary supplements has been reported in adult patients. [7][8][9][10][11][12] However, to our knowledge, pediatric cases of VDI caused by dietary supplements have not been previously reported. We report here on 7 young children with VDI caused by the consumption of a fish oil supplement that contained an excessively high dose of vitamin D due to a manufacturing error. CASE HISTORIESA 2.5-year-old boy was admitted on September 24, 2011, with a history of fever, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting for 2 weeks. He was clinically dehydrated. His serum calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were 13.4 mg/dL (normal range: 8.8-10.8 mg/dL) and 962 ng/mL (normal range: 30-80 ng/mL), respectively. His parents denied taking any drug or dietary supplement containing vitamin D.The second male infant, aged 13 months, was admitted 2 weeks later with a history of weakness, poor appetite, vomiting, weight loss, and constipation for 12 days. His physical examination was normal. His serum calcium and 25(OH)D l...

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Abstract.A 20-mo-old girl was brought to our department by her mother because of breast enlargement. She was diagnosed with premature thelarche. One month later, she returned to our hospital with a complaint of vaginal bleeding. During the subsequent 6 mo, her vaginal bleeding recurred every month while her breast development disappeared. We performed laboratory tests and imaging. At the end of 6 mo, we realized that her mother’s menstrual bleeding and the patient’s blood staining were concurrent. The mother confessed applying her vaginal flow to her daughter’s underwear. Factitious disorder should be included in the differential diagnosis of unexplained vaginal bleeding in childhood.