Pattern of thyroid :function in children with protein energy malnutrition as seen at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Abstract

Severe PEM is an important disease in this country.

It is associated 1iith considerable morbidity and mortality in infants and young children. -.There are some clinical and pathological features that occur commonly in both severe PEM and states of hypothyroidism.

This study was undertaken to investigate the thyroid hormone status in severe PEM. Hormone concentrations for FT3, FT4 and TSH were measured by radioimmunoassay procedure in 67 children wi.t h severe PEl'! and 67 controls matched for • age and sex, between the ages of 4 and 34 months.

There was significant depression of FT3 and FT4 in patients with kwashiorkor, marasmus and marasmic kwashiorkor. The levels of 'l'SHin the patients with severe PEJIIwere normal when compared to the levels in normal patients.