Transient neonatal pseudohypoparathyroidism: An uncommon cause of hypocalcemia in the newborn

Transient pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) has rarely been reported as a cause of hypocalcemia in neonates. A 17-day-old male neonate was referred to our Endocrinology clinic in view of severe hypocalcemia. On evaluation, he was found to have hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, high serum parathyroid hormone levels, and hypovitaminosis D. With this profile, a possibility of PHP was considered and hence he was commenced on oral calcium preparation, along with supplementation with active vitamin D. The transient nature of this condition was confirmed as serum calcium levels remained normal few weeks after stopping the supplementation. We present the case to emphasize the importance of a detailed metabolic and hormonal assessment in evaluation of neonatal hypocalcemia and the need for monitoring the metabolic parameters closely.