chris mccutcheon. cretinism is when the brain and skeleton stop developing at a young age
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Symptoms.
Large anterior fontanels.
Thickened skin. Enlarged tongue. Poor muscle tone. Hoarse cry. Protruding abdomen. Short legs or arms.
prognosis
Very early diagnosis will most likely results in a good outcome. Newborns that are diagnosed and treated within the first month slowly develop normal intelligence.
Treatment
Replacement therapy is the standard treatment of hypothyroidism. Once medication starts, thyroid blood tests are done to make sure levels are within normal range.
Current research
This is a condition due to inadequate secretion of thyroid hormones during fetal life or early infancy. The brain and skeleton fail to develop properly, resulting in mental retardation and dwarfism. It is due to congenital deficiency in the secretion of hormone thyroxine from the thyroid gland. It is caused due to insufficient amount of iodine in the diet of the child?s mother during pregnancy.
Genetic counseling
Anne Matthews, RN, PhDDirector, Genetic Counseling and Family StudiesAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Genetics School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University
Credits
http://www.e-radiography.net/radpath/c/cretinism.htm
http://howshealth.com/cretinism/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science
http://www.healthcaremagic.com/healthpage/cretinism