SERUM BUTANOL-EXTRACTABLE IODINE VALUES OF CHILDREN UNDER TEN YEARS OF AGE

HYPOFUNCTION of the thyroid gland is difficult to evaluate clinically in children who are mentally or physically retarded, who are obese, or who have minimal clinical symptoms suggestive of cretinism. Serum butanol-extractable or protein-bound iodine concentrations have been found to be reliable criteria of thyroid activity in adults. The range for serum butanol-extractable iodine of normal children at various ages needs to be defined accurately. In this investigation the serum butanol-extractable iodines of 40 normal children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years are presented. In addition, 56 children in the same age range with obesity, mental or physical retardation, or symptoms of Mongolism were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS On the basis of physical examinations and clinical histories obtained from the parents or guardians, the 96 children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years were divided into two groups of 40 normal and 56 abnormal children.