[Transient neonatal thyrotoxicosis: clinical presentation and treatment in 7 cases]

Neonatal thyrotoxicosis is a rare disease. The goal of this study was to analyse main neonatal symptoms, clinical complications and patient's care.

This retrospective study concerned the newborns admitted with neonatal thyrotoxicosis between 1992 and 2004 in the neonatal department of Bordeaux, Toulouse and Pau hospital.

Seven of these patients were included in the study. All of the newborns had permanent tachycardia and 3 of them had respiratory failure. Two patients had potentially lethal clinical complications. The first had goitre with tracheal compression. The second developed global heart failure on his 13th day of life. The onset of antithyroid drug treatment was between the 3rd and the 18th day of life. Mean duration of treatment was 50 days. Occurring complications were neutropenia in 3 patients and hypothyroidism in 1 patient. The children were tracked during their first year, and all had normal growth and normal neurological development.

The main prognostic factor is the early onset of antithyroid treatment. In our study, 2 patients had potentially lethal clinical complications. Adequate care depends on early spotting of high-risk newborn.