Background: Neonatal screening programs for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) are now widespread in developed countries.
Aim: Cord blood thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was evaluated for the incidence of CH in Bahrain Defense Force hospital.
Methods: Those neonates with cord blood TSH values >25 mU/l were recalled. Permanent CH was reported when the levels of TSH and free T4 (fT4) venous blood samples were > or =15 mUl and <12 pmol/l, respectively, with abnormal thyroid scan.
Results: Of 714 recalled newborns, 23 (10 males and 13 females) were diagnosed with transient TSH elevation with an estimated incidence of 1:774 births and 6 (3 males and 3 females) were diagnosed with permanent CH with an overall estimated incidence of 1:2,967 births.
Conclusions: High incidence rates for CH reported in this hospital-based study suggest the need for a national screening program for this congenital endocrine disorder in the Kingdom of Bahrain.