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The meaning of CRETINISM is a usually congenital condition marked by physical stunting and intellectual disability and caused by severe hypothyroidism.
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What does cretinism mean?
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- Overview
- Congenital hypothyroidism vs. myxedema
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Treatment options
- Prevention
- Associated conditions and complications
- Outlook
Overview
Congenital hypothyroidism, previously known as cretinism, is a severe deficiency of thyroid hormone in newborns. It causes impaired neurological function, stunted growth, and physical deformities. The condition may occur because of a problem with the baby’s thyroid gland, or a lack of iodine in the mother’s body during pregnancy.
A baby’s body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones are essential for healthy growth, brain, and nervous system development.
Between 1 in 2,000 and 1 in 4,000 babies are born with congenital hypothyroidism.
Myxedema is a term used to describe a severely underactive thyroid gland in an adult. Congenital hypothyroidism refers to a thyroid deficiency in an infant.
Myxedema can also be used to describe skin changes caused by low thyroid hormone levels.
Signs of cretinism or congenital hypothyroidism in a newborn include:
•lack of weight gain
•stunted growth
•fatigue, lethargy
•poor feeding
•thickened facial features
Congenital hypothyroidism in newborns can be caused by:
•a missing, poorly formed, or abnormally small thyroid gland
•a genetic defect that affects thyroid hormone production
•too little iodine in the mother’s diet during pregnancy
•radioactive iodine or antithyroid treatment for thyroid cancer during pregnancy
•use of medicines that disrupt thyroid hormone production — such as antithyroid drugs, sulfonamides, or lithium — during pregnancy
Newborns in the United States and many other countries are routinely screened for thyroid hormone levels. The test involves taking a small blood sample from the baby’s heel. A laboratory checks the baby’s blood levels of thyroid hormone (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
Doctors called pediatric endocrinologists treat congenital hypothyroidism. The main treatment is to give the baby thyroid hormone (levothyroxine). This condition must be treated within the first four weeks after birth or the intellectual disability may be permanent.
Thyroid hormone comes in a pill that parents can crush up into their baby’s breast milk, formula, or water. Parents need to be cautious about using some formulas. Soy protein and concentrated iron formulas can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone.
Once babies are on thyroid hormone medication, they will need to have blood tests every few months. These tests will check that their TSH and T4 levels are within a normal range.
Congenital hypothyroidism is typically seen in developing countries where iodine deficiency is common. Adults can prevent iodine deficiency by getting the Institute of Medicine’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 150 micrograms of iodine per day. One teaspoon of iodized salt contains about 400 micrograms of iodine.
Because an iodine deficiency in pregnancy can be dangerous to the growing baby, pregnant women are advised to get 220 micrograms of iodine daily. The American Thyroid Association recommends that all women who are pregnant or breastfeeding take a prenatal vitamin containing at least 150 micrograms of iodine each day.
Children who are born with a severely underactive thyroid gland can develop intellectual disability if the condition isn’t treated quickly. A child’s IQ can drop several points for every few months that treatment is delayed. Growth and bone strength can also be affected.
Other complications of congenital hypothyroidism include:
•an abnormal walk
•muscle spasticity
•an inability to speak (mutism)
•autistic behavior
The outlook depends on how quickly a baby is diagnosed and treated. Infants who aren’t diagnosed or treated within the first few weeks after birth have a lower IQ and more physical health problems than those who are treated sooner.
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“Cretinism refers to the congenital hypothyroidism or underactivity of thyroid glands during early childhood leading to stunted growth and mental retardation.” The term cretin was derived from the French word chrétien, literally meaning “Christian” or “Christ-like” as the diseased were mentally retarded and incapable of doing sin ...
- The main causes of cretinism are the following: Dietary iodine deficiency. Failure of responding to the iodine of thyroid hormone supplement. Mater...
- The main symptoms of cretinism are the following: Stunted growth and mental retardation. Short stature (dwarfism). Mild neurological impairment wit...
- The three main characteristic features of neurologic endemic hypothyroidism in its absolutely developed type are very severe moronity alongside squ...
- Goitre is often the results of thyroid tumours, that are sometimes benign, however generally malignant. Most thyroid tumours occur as separate nodu...
cretinism. (krēt′n-ĭz′əm) n. A congenital condition caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone during prenatal development and characterized by small stature, intellectual disability, dystrophy of the bones, and a low basal metabolism.
It is one cause of underactive thyroid function at birth, called congenital hypothyroidism, historically referred to as cretinism (obsolete). If untreated, it results in impairment of both physical and mental development.
Cretinism definition: (no longer in technical use) a congenital disease due to absence or deficiency of normal thyroid secretion, characterized by physical deformity, dwarfism, and intellectual disability, and often by goiter. See examples of CRETINISM used in a sentence.
The medical definition of cretinism is untreated congenital hypothyroidism, with or without a goiter. Iodine deficiency is still a major cause of endemic cretinism, but in Canada this is no longer true.
