Delay in screening premature infants for congenital hypothyroidism

Abstract

Re: Palliation bias is being overlooked in neonatal hypothermia trialsWe thank Ziinu for the comments on our review. We agree that there is a risk of bias when the intervention is unmasked and this may also influence the decision to withdraw intensive care. Indeed, this is one reason why studies have chosen a composite outcome measure that includes rates of disability, but we agree that this does not completely remove the possibility of bias. It is one reason why we advise caution in the interpretation of the reported results and why a metaanalysis of the current studies can only be speculative. The additional data from approximately 600 infants that are being recruited in ongoing studies will help determine the efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia more precisely. We need to await those results before therapeutic hypothermia is considered standard treatment for perinatal asphyxia.

Multivariate analyses of factors that affect neonatal screening thyroid stimulating hormone

“…In response to the concerns about the ability of premature infants with CHT to produce an elevated TSH, a UK nationwide policy to repeat the screening test of premature babies at 36 weeks ' gestation equivalent was introduced in the UK in 2005 and elevated TSH was defi ned as > 20 mU/L in this policy (3) . However, a TSH cut-off level of 5 mU/L is now used in screening laboratories in Wales (14) and Liverpool (15) . The UK Newborn Screening Programme Centre (13) recommended a repeat sample TSH cut-off level of < 10 mU/L in 2005 as representing a low probability of CHT.…”