“What happens if a child has hypothyroidism?”
My son was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Is it serious? What are the treatment options?
4 Answers
The key of this disease is not enough thyroid hormone leading to slow growth, lack of activity, poor performance in school. The most common cause is an autoimmune process. Doing a thyroid function screening, blood test to measure the thyroid hormone in blood (thyroxine or T4), and serum TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels. TSH, T4, T3 and free T4 are the most commonly test to evaluate the thyroid. Please, check with an endocrinologist. Thank you.
It can be treated by taking replacement thyroid hormone daily so it is pretty easy to treat. However if left untreated there can be numerous negative effects such as psychomotor slowing, weight gain, decreased energy, depression, and other services effects. He should see an endocrinologist who specializes in thyroid disorders to get the cause and determine what treatment he needs.
Your son must start replacement medication (levothyroxine) and your endocrinologist must find out the reason why he developed hypothyroidism.
How old is your son? Does he have any other medical conditions? Hypothyroidism can exist alone, as in association with other medical conditions. Does your son have an enlarged thyroid? Is his height below average for his age? Has he been on any medications that can cause hypothyroidism? Has he been treated with radiation to the head and neck? Treatment of hypothyroidism usually involves replacement thyroid hormone medication once possible co-existent adrenal insufficiency has been excluded or treated. He needs to be seen by an endocrinologist.
