Research in Congenital Hypothyroidism

1. Physiopathology.- Placental transfer of substances from mother to fetus affecting fetal pituitary-thyroid function.- Transfer of thyroid hormones from the mother to the fetus.- Role of the placenta in fetal thyroid homeostasis.- Role of maternal carrier proteins in the supply of thyroid hormones to the feto-placental unit: evidence of a feto-placental requirement for thyroxine.- Maturation of thyroid hormone actions.- Regulation of intracellular thyroid hormone concentrations in the fetus.- Action of thyroid hormones on brain development.- Physiopathology - Panel discussion Moderator.- 2. Etiology.- Transient hypothyroidism in infants due to maternal TSH-receptor blocking antibodies. Character of their IgG and long-term prognosis of their infants.- Sporadic and endemic congenital hypothyroidism: evidence for autosensitization.- Thyroid growth blocking antibodies and congenital hypothyroidism.- TSH-blocking antibodies and congenital hypothyroidism.- Congenital hypothyroidism and autoimmunity. Panel discussion.- 3. Diagnosis.- Congenital defects associated with congenital hypothyroidism.- Resistance to thyroid hormones and screening for high thyroxine at birth.- Iodine nutrition and congenital hypothyroidism.- Scintigraphy in congenital hypothyroidism.- Cervical ultrasound in congenital hypothyroidism.- Neonatal echographic findings in congenital hypothyroidism.- Thyroglobulin and congenital hypothyroidism.- Significance of early diagnostic data in congenital hypothyroidism.- 4. Therapy and Neuropsychointellectual Development.- Problems in the management of patients with infantile hypothyroidism.- Treatment strategy and long term follow-up of congenital hypothyroidism.- Intellectual outcome in hypothyroid children screened at birth.- Intellectual and neuropsychological assessment of children with congenital hypothyroidism.- Mental development of patients with congenital hypothyroidism detected by screening. Quebec experience.- Neonatal thyroid screening: now we are nine.- Neurological development in congenital hypothyroidism.- 5. Abstracts of the Posters Session.- Abstracts n 1 to 38.- 6. Summary and Recommendations.- Speakers.- Discussants.- Author Index.