The word "cretin" has oftenly been linked to have originated from the Old French "chretien" meaning "Christian". In hopes of escaping persecution, Heretical Christians, regularly fled into iodine-deficient valleys in the Pyrenees in southwest France and as a result, had children with congenital hypothyroidism. Cretinism, otherwise known as congenital hypothyroidism (inactive thyroid gland - at birth) resulting in growth retardation, developmental delay and other abnormal features(Allara). The absence of the thyroid gland functioning correctly …showed first 75 words of 728 total…

…showed last 75 words of 728 total…such as a simple blood test or taking a small pill once a day. While pregnant, if the mother is being treated with radioactive idoine, destruction of the thyroid in the fetus is oftenly a result. Unless the procedure is a life and death situation, radio-iodine should be avoided at all cost (Halpern). Mothers taking antithyroid medications should be tested after birth for indication of the drug induced transient hypothyroidism. <Tab/>