Endocrine Abstracts

The spectrum of thyroid problems seen in paediatric endocrine practice is different to that seen in later life. Topics that have attracted particular interest include the HPT axis in pre-term infants, the significance of a subtle increase in TSH, and associations between thyroid function in childhood and risk of disease in later life. This talk will include lessons learnt from patients seen in North–East England and from studies conducted in the same locality.

Issues to be discussed include:

• what can be learnt from the pattern of thyroid dysfunction seen in babies born to thyrotoxic mothers

• the paradox of an elevated TSH in combined pituitary hormone deficiency

• ‘sick euthyroid’ in paediatric practice

• TSH ‘tracking’ in childhood and adolescence

• the potential link between birth-weight, TSH levels and the metabolic syndrome

• the ongoing debate about neonatal TSH screening ‘cut-off’ in term and preterm infants.

Understanding the causes and long-term implications of subtle thyroid dysfunction in term and preterm infants in more detail is likely to have a significant bearing on endocrine practice in years ahead.