# NEW ENGLAND HYPOTHYROIDISM COLLABORATIVE FOLLOW-UP STUDY

> **NIH NIH R01** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 1993 · $141,282

## Abstract

The objective of the proposed study is to complete the follow-up of
children with hypothyroidism diagnosed as the result of the neonatal
screening program in New England from January 1, 1976 through December
31, 1980. Such children who received adequate treatment have IQs that do
not differ from those of their controls. They progressed normally through
the third grade, thus refuting the notion that even those hypothyroid
children with normal IQs are unable to maintain normal progress.

The specific aims of the proposed study are two in number. The first is
to shown whether or not the children continue to progress normally as
school becomes more intellectually demanding by following them into high
school. Because no cohort of children with infantile hypothyroidism has
been followed this far in school, the results will be o practical
importance. Demonstration of normal school progress will prevent the
children from becoming victims of a teacher whose attitude is based on
low expectations of their ability to learn. In addition to the
psychometric tests administered by they study personnel, school
performance will be monitored by annual interviews with parents and
reports from schools of grades and class standings.

The second specific aim is to document physical growth and sexual
maturation of hypothyroid children through puberty and beyond the period
of peak growth velocity. Even hypothyroid children who were treated
adequately but diagnosed clinically had slightly delayed pubertal
development. There are no data for children with infantile hypothyroidism
treated shortly after diagnosis by neonatal screening. The spectre of
potential problems in this cohort has been raised by several events, two
of which are the finding of an increase incidence of congenital anomalies
and an increased incidence of secondary hypopituitarism in the older
children. In addition, the follow-up of cohorts of children with
galactosemia and PKU has revealed unexpected striking problems in sexual
maturation and fertility. The latter observations, coupled with the high
incidence of congenital anomalies in infantile hypothyroidism, may be an
indication of potential problems and thus suggest the importance of
surveillance of the hypothyroid cohort through puberty.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2196863
- **Project number:** 5R01HD011959-13
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** C1F5LNUF7W86
- **Principal Investigator:** MARVIN L MITCHELL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $141,282
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1979-02-01 → 1995-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2196863

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2196863, NEW ENGLAND HYPOTHYROIDISM COLLABORATIVE FOLLOW-UP STUDY (5R01HD011959-13). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2196863. Licensed CC0.

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