KARACHI: Experts at the concluding session of a two-day symposium on Sunday called for making thyroid testing mandatory after the birth of a baby to prevent chances of mental retardation.

They said the thyroid hormone problem affected physical and mental health of children while negatively affecting their growth, and puberty, creating sexual issues and causing diabetes and hypoglycemia etc.

The international symposium on paediatric endocrinology and diabetes was organised by the Society of Pediatrics and Diabetes of Pakistan aimed at disseminating knowledge about paediatric endocrinology to paediatricians and physicians.

Experts said investigations or laboratory tests and medicines required for diagnosis and management of endocrine diseases in children that should be made generally available across the country.

They said paediatric endocrinology dealt with hormonal issue in children, including growth disorder, early or delayed puberty, diabetes, hypoglycemia, obesity in addition to thyroidal diseases.

International experts at the symposium were Prof Maria Craig from Sydney, Prof Margaret Zaccharin from Melbourne, and Prof Sarah Ehtisham, and Prof Asma Deeb from United Arab Emirates.

They warned that populations in developing countries could experience an extraordinary surge in the cases of diabetes in the years to come unless appropriate action was taken and concerted efforts made to curb the disease effectively.

They said paediatric endocrinology was a sub-specialty in its own entity and “we need to create training opportunities to have more physicians available to cater to the patients presenting with these illnesses”.

Besides, they added, a balanced diet was important for steady growth of a child, adding that all food groups should be in the diet of children.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2019