Supplemental Thyroxine Treatment for Preterm Infants With Hypothyroxinemia

Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Thyroxine Supplementation for Very-low-birth-weight Infants With Hypothyroxinemia During the First Month of Age

In order to determine the efficacy and safety of thyroxine replacement, a randomized clinical trial of thyroxine supplementation for VLBW infant with hypothyroxinemia during the first month of age is conducted.

A prospective randomized unmasked controlled trial is conducted. Newborn infants with birth weight less than 1500g are randomized into thyroxine treatment or un-treatment group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Birth weight: less than 1500g
• Gestation: 22 weeks 0 day ≤
• Serum free thyroxine level lower than 0.8 ng/dl
• Serum thyrotropin lower than 10 μU/ml
• Age of between 2 and 4 weeks after birth
• Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• any known thyroid disease in mother