Overview of diagnosis, management and outcome of congenital hypothyroidism: A call for a national screening programme in Sudan.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the commonest preventable cause of mental retardation in children worldwide. It continued to be a major health problem amongst Sudanese children. The lack of a screening programme in Sudan may be the major factor of missing the diagnosis in newborns with such a condition that can present very subtle clinically, yet with poor neurodevelopmental consequences. The outcome is very good when the condition is noticed early (in the first 2 - 3 weeks of life). However, the prognosis is guarded when the diagnosis is delayed, with a squeal of different degrees of developmental delay depending on the severity of the condition. In this overview, we tried to highlight the important issues of screening, diagnosis and outcome with and without early management, worldwide. We thereby send a call out for all paediatricians and endocrine clinicians who work locally or outside Sudan to collaborate with the Sudanese Society of Paediatrician as well as other stakeholders in Sudan to help establishing a national screening programme for all common and preventable causes of childhood illnesses which has devastating consequences such as CH.