The most severe manifestation of
in utero iodine deficiency is cretinism. Two classic
forms of cretinism – neurological and myxedematous
– have been described.1 The three characteristic features
of neurological cretinism in its fully developed
form are severe mental retardation with squint, deaf
mutism and motor spasticity. The typical myxedematous
cretin has a less severe degree of mental retardation
than the neurological cretin.