[Hypothyreosis--screening in newborn (author's transl)]

Abstract

Summing up, we can say that, basing on the hypothyreosis screening results obtained in the Federal Republic of Germany, a rate of 100 to 160 new hypothyreosis patients must be expected annually for every 500.000 births. Of these more than half is recognized at a time only at which irreparable damage of the central nervous system has already occurred. With the help of TSH screening, a large proportion of these patients can be saved from several mental retardation and damage, with all its severe social consequences, by enabling early institution of appropriate therapeutics measures. Hence, it would be desirable to achieve, throughout the territory of the Federal Republic, comprehensive hypothyreosis screening in combination with already introduced programme of screening in respect of metabolism, covering without exceptions all newborn and comprising responsible, rapid and efficient co-operation without "red tape", between obstetricians or midwives on the one hand and screening centers on the other.