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 during pregnancy, can result in one of several…
