Quality of life, developmental milestones, and self-esteem of young adults with congenital hypothyroidism diagnosed by neonatal screening

Context: With advances in the treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH), the neuropsychological functioning of CH patients is considerably improved. Although much is written about cognitive and motor development, little is known about emotional and social consequences for patients growing up with CH, diagnosed by neonatal screening. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to: 1) compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL), developmental milestones also called course of life (CoL), sociodemographical outcomes, and self-esteem of CH patients with the general population; and 2) explore whether severity of CH was related to these outcomes. Design/Setting/Patients: A total of 69 young adults with CH, born in The Netherlands in 1981–1982, completed the “TNO-AZL Questionnaire for Adult’s Health related Quality of Life” questionnaire, the CoL survey (developmental milestones and sociodemographical outcomes), and a self-esteem questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures: HRQoL, CoL, social demographical outcome...