The second wave of the Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Screening (CATS II) study: the cognitive assessment protocol

Hales, Charlotte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8638-6626, Channon, Susan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5394-1483, Taylor, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3436-422X, Draman, Mohd, Muller, Ilaria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2926-0722, Lazarus, John Henry, Paradice, Ruth, Rees, Dafydd Aled ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1165-9092, Shillabeer, Dionne, Gregory, John Welbourn ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5189-3812, Dayan, Colin Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6557-3462 and Ludgate, Marian Elizabeth 2014. The second wave of the Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Screening (CATS II) study: the cognitive assessment protocol. BMC Endocrine Disorders 14 (1) , 95. 10.1186/1472-6823-14-95

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Abstract

Background Children whose mothers had low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy have been reported to have decreased cognitive function. The reported research is part of the follow-on study of the Controlled Antenatal Thyroid Screening Study (CATS I), a randomised controlled trial which investigated the impact of treated vs. untreated low thyroid hormone level in women during pregnancy with the primary outcome being the child’s IQ at age 3. No significant differences in IQ were found between the treated and untreated groups. These children are now aged between 7 and 10 years and aspects of their cognitive functioning including their IQ are being reassessed as part of CATS II. Methods/Design Cognitive assessments generate an IQ score and further tests administered will investigate long term memory function and motor coordination. The aim is to complete the assessments with 40% of the children born to mothers either in the treated or untreated low thyroid hormone groups (n = 120 per group). Also children born to mothers who had normal thyroid functioning during CATS I are being assessed for the first time (n = 240) to provide a comparison. Assessments are conducted either in the research facility or the participant’s home. Discussion The study is designed to assess the cognitive functioning of children born to mothers with low thyroid hormone levels and normal thyroid functioning during pregnancy. This is the largest study of its type and also is distinguishable in its longitudinal design. The research has the potential to have a significant impact on public health policy in the UK; universal screening of thyroid hormone levels in pregnancy may be the recommendation. Keywords: Hypothyroidism; Pregnancy; Child; Intelligence; IQ; Cognition; Motor coordination; Long term memory; Thyroid function

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences Medicine Systems Immunity Research Institute (SIURI)
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Publisher:	BioMed Central
ISSN:	1472-6823
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 February 2019
Date of Acceptance:	8 December 2014
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2024 14:09
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/79217

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