Congenital hypothyroidism in Bogotá, Colombia: a current description (2015-2021)

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a decrease in thyroid hormone function in newborns, being one of the leading causes of neurological deficits and long-term metabolic complications. This study aims to determine the prevalence and characteristics of CH cases in Bogotá, Colombia, between 2015 and 2021, as notified through the mandatory report to the Public Health Surveillance System (PHSS).

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. All live births (LB) with a weight ≥500 g, diagnosed with CH with or without goiter (ICD-10 codes E030 and E031, respectively) in Bogotá during 2015-2021 were analyzed.

For a total of 201 cases, the prevalence rate was 3.29 cases per 10,000 LB. 92.54 % were classified as isolated cases of CH, 4.48 % syndromic, and 2.98 % polymalformated. A total of 16.92 % was small for gestational age. The mean gestational age was 37.38 weeks (SD 2.76), 26.87 % were preterm births. Among the mothers, 8.96 % suffered from pregnancy-related or chronic diseases, the most common being hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and pre-existant hypothyroidism (without clarity concerning etiology). A total of 66.67 % of cases did not receive treatment after diagnosis. Treatment was established by an average age of 27 days after birth (SD 36.02) and 17 days after case notification to the PHSS (SD 36.13).

Observed prevalence is similar to the rate reported by health authorities in Colombia but inferior to reports from high-income countries, highlighting the importance of improvements in the Colombian LB's screening program. Time to diagnosis and treatment was observed to be prolonged, suggesting that new pathways are required for timely CH treatment.