Effects of thyroxine on infant development of undernourished rats.

The rehabilitative effects of exogenous thyroxine on infant development of undernourished animals were examined. Thyroxine injection accelerated the rate of body growth, age at eye opening, tooth eruption, and several emitted behaviors in undernourished infant animals. The data indirectly support previous findings that undernutrition induces hypothyroidism and that exogenous thyroxine might be an effective rehabilitative agent.