Abstract
Hypothyroidism in both premature and full-term infants is known to surface within a short time after birth. If left untreated, this condition often leads to cretinism and, eventually, mental retardation. Our institution performs thyroid hormone screening on neonates in the hope that such problems may be avoided. Using blood-stained filter paper spots, various radioimmunoassay kits were evaluated to find one neonatal thyroxine and one neonatal thyroid-stimulation hormone kit which could yield reproducible results and low cost for the patient. The results obtained determined which kits are best suited to our needs in diagnosing hypothyroidism in infants.