Congenital hypothyroidism is a systemic metabolic disorder characterized by insufficient production of thyroid hormones. The literature shows that infants with congenital hypothyroidism may have cognitive, language and behavioral problems, even when the diagnosis and treatment started early. The objective of this study was to describe the language, cognitive, psycholinguistic abilities and / or behavior changes in patients with congenital hypothyroidism from published national and international studies in the period 2004-2013. The database research included: LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences), MEDLINE (MedlarsonLINE- International Literature) and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). When evaluating children with congenital hypothyroidism, the literature indicates that the severity of changes in the development of motor skills, cognitive and language abilities was related to the age the child was diagnosed and the start of treatment. However, disorders in these abilities have been observed in congenital hypothyroidism children even when the diagnosis and early treatment were within the standards considered adequate. The magnitude of these changes depends on factors as congenital hypothyroidism etiology, time of its beginning (pre-or post-natal), severity of hormone deficiency and age of the start of hormone replacement therapy.
Congenital Hypothyroidism; Language; Intellectual Disabilities; Learning
