Early detection of congenital hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 5-10 000 births, is probably the commonest endocrine disorder of early childhood. Its importance lies in the devastating effect which it can have on brain development, leading to sub- normality and other manifestations such as clum- siness and hyperactivity. It is common experience that the condition is difficult or impossible to recog- nize during the first days or weeks after delivery. However, recent advances in laboratory methods,