Cretinism, Know the Causes and Treatment

Cretinism is characterized by a baby's thyroid hormone levels being below normal, thus interfering with his growth and development. This condition most often arises due to mothers not consuming iodine during pregnancy. To overcome this, babies who lack thyroid hormone need to be given hormone therapy immediately.

Cretinism appears as a result of congenital hypothyroidism, which is when the thyroid gland in newborns does not develop properly or even does not exist at all. This causes thyroid hormones to not be produced in normal amounts.

Cretinism, Know the Causes and Treatment

In fact, newborn babies need sufficient levels of thyroid hormone to support the growth and development of the brain and various other organs so they can work optimally.

Deficiency of thyroid hormone or hypothyroidism in newborns is sometimes difficult to recognize physically. Therefore, newborns should undergo thyroid hormone level checks to detect hypothyroidism early.

Over time, babies who are deficient in thyroid hormone and are not treated properly will experience various symptoms, such as weight and length. difficulty rising, yellow skin and eyes, always looking lethargic, oversleeping, constipation, swelling in the navel area, and swollen face.

Causes of Cretinism and Risk Factors

Most cases of cretinism occur because the thyroid gland does not form properly during pregnancy. This condition makes newborn babies have thyroid glands with an abnormal number, size, or shape, or even don't have them at all.

In some other cases, cretinism in infants can occur due to genetic or hereditary problems. In such cases, the baby's thyroid gland is fully developed, but cannot produce enough thyroid hormone. Even so, this condition rarely occurs.

In addition, there are several things that can increase the risk of a baby experiencing cretinism, namely:

  • Having chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and Turner syndrome
  • Have an autoimmune disorder, such as type 1 diabetes or celiac disease
  • Have an injury to the thyroid gland

Treatment Cretinism

Treatment for cretinism aims to replace thyroid hormones that are lacking or missing, so that levels return to normal. This treatment is usually done by taking a drug containing synthetic thyroid hormone, namely levothyroxine.

This drug needs to be taken in the long term because cretinism is a disorder that lasts quite a long time. The dose given will also be adjusted to the condition of the baby or child who is experiencing it.

The drug levothyroxine for babies is generally in the form of tablets so it needs to be crushed first, then mixed into breast milk or formula milk in a bottle for the baby to drink.

However, if you want to mix it into formula milk, you should avoid formula milk that contains soy. This is because the protein content in soy can inhibit the absorption of synthetic thyroid hormone.

Not only that, this medication can also be given directly to infants by crushing the medicinal tablet with a little water (1 teaspoon), then using a dropper. to put it in the baby's mouth to make it easier.

Lack of thyroid hormone in newborns can indeed cause growth and development disorders. However, early treatment can prevent various complications, such as speech disorders, mental retardation, and abnormal posture.

Cretinism is a condition of congenital abnormalities that are generally caused by iodine deficiency in the mother during pregnancy. Therefore, in order to prevent this condition from occurring, pregnant women are advised to meet their daily requirement of iodine, which is around 220 mcg. Newborn. The doctor will of course recommend this examination for newborns and provide thyroid hormone therapy if the levels are abnormal.

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