What causes thyroid problems in infants?
Hypothyroidism in the newborn may be caused by: A missing or poorly developed thyroid gland. A pituitary gland that does not stimulate the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones that are poorly formed or do not work.
How do babies get hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism in infants is usually congenital; acquired causes become more common with age. Most congenital causes involve dysgenesis of the gland, but genetic disorders affecting thyroid hormone synthesis may occur. Most hypothyroid infants are detected through routine newborn screening.
Can having a baby cause hypothyroidism?
Postpartum thyroiditis happens when a woman’s thyroid becomes inflamed after having a baby. It may first cause the thyroid to be overactive. But in time it can lead to an underactive thyroid.
How hypothyroidism affect the infants and adults?
Left untreated in newborns, hypothyroidism can lead to mental retardation. Untreated hypothyroidism may also lead to anemia, low body temperature and heart failure. The goal of treatment is to restore the thyroid gland to normal function, producing normal levels of thyroid hormones.
What is a normal TSH level for a baby?
Results should be interpreted using age-appropriate normative values (the TSH reference range at two to six weeks of age, the most common period of retesting, typically is 1.7 to 9.1 mU per L). Approximately 10 percent of infants with confirmed congenital hypothyroidism have TSH values between 20 and 40 mU per L.
How do I know if my baby has hypothyroidism?
Most babies have no obvious signs or symptoms of low thyroid levels at birth. Some may have either at birth or soon after, a puffy face, a hoarse cry, a large and thick tongue, or a distended stomach. Left untreated, hypothyroidism in babies can lead to ”all sorts of neurological issues and mental deficits,” he says.
Is hypothyroidism curable in kids?
Hormones produced by the thyroid affect all aspects of your child’s health including heart rate, energy metabolism (how effectively the body uses calories), growth and development. Hypothyroidism is treatable with medication.
Does hypothyroidism affect growth in children?
Undiagnosed hypothyroid children may experience slowed growth rate. Additional symptoms include sluggishness, pallor, dry and itchy scalp, increased sensitivity to cold and constipation. If untreated, the condition may have devastating effects, such as stunted physical growth and mental retardation.
Does hypothyroidism shorten life?
Your symptoms should disappear and the serious effects of low thyroid hormone should improve. If you keep your hypothyroidism well-controlled, it will not shorten your life span.