§ Mr. Jim Lestorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for screening programmes to detect congenital hypothyroidism in newborn babies; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungIt is widely accepted that early detection and treatment of babies with congenital hypothyroidism, a deficiency of thyroid hormone, is likely to result in a better prognosis for their intellectual and neurological development. A health notice has today been issued to health authorities in England drawing their attention to a report by the joint standing committee on screening in medical care, which sets out the evidence in support of screening for this condition, and asking them to incorporate such screening into their priorities for preventive medicine. It also says that the Medical Research Council has agreed to set up a committee to coordinate the early stages of development of the service, particularly with regard to the uniformity of methods and standards in the screening laboratories.