MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Cretinism is a disease caused by hypothyroidism. Iodine deficiency in diet during pregnancy is the major cause of cretinism. Hypothyroidism leads to impaired development of the growing fetus and leads to mental retardation and stunted growth.

Detailed explanation-2: -Iodine is a key element in the synthesis of thyroid hormones and as a consequence, severe iodine deficiency results in hypothyroidism, goiter, and cretinism with the well known biochemical alterations.

Detailed explanation-3: -In contrast, in severe iodine deficiency, maternal hypothyroidism does occur during pregnancy and the contribution of maternal thyroxine to the saturation of the triiodothyronine receptors of the brain of the growing fetus is decreased, resulting in the development of the neurological features of endemic cretinism.