To Cerebral Palsy Scientists have linked low levels of a thyroid hormone in premature infants to the development of disabling cerebral palsy. They examined more than 400 premature infants screened for blood levels of the hormone thyroxine during the first week of life. Investigators also found lowered mental development scores at age 2 in the affected children, who had a gestational age of 33 weeks or less.
Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic disorders characterized by impaired body movement.
Faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture. Over 500,000 Americans have the disorder, and 4,500 American infants are diagnosed each year. We will not know, however, whether treatment with thyroid hormone will improve neurodevelopmental outcome until a suitable randomized trial of thyroid supplementation is completed. Thyroid hormone is indispensable to cerebral development. Babies in the United States are routinely screened for abnormal thyroid function.