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Hypothyroidism in children – this is a certain condition in which the thyroid gland produces hormones (thyroid), but there are too few of them. It develops when they are not enough to meet the normal needs of the body. It should be noted that a disease that occurs in childhood is somewhat different from a similar condition in adults and quickly leads to irreversible conditions. That is why, as soon as the baby is born, usually within the first two days, blood is taken from him to study the level of thyroid hormones, namely, TSH, T4, antithyroid antibodies and thyroglobulin are screened.
At the same time, only in the first weeks of intrauterine development, the mother’s hormones act on the fetus, and starting from the 12th week, it produces its own thyroid hormones, since its own thyroid gland begins to function. Since their deficiency leads to mental and physical underdevelopment, hypothyroidism is given great attention in pediatrics. The younger the child, the more dangerous this disease is for him, and sometimes it can be a real risk of a threat to the health and even the life of the baby.
Hypothyroidism in children can be either congenital or acquired. As for the degree of severity, there are transient, subclinical and overt deficiency in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormones. If we classify the disease according to the level of impaired hormone production, then 3 types can be distinguished: thyroid, pituitary and hypothalamic.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism in children
It should be understood that the symptoms of hypothyroidism in children differ from the manifestations of a similar disease in adults, among them the following signs can be distinguished:
Endemic cretinism, deafness, muscle spasticity, skeletal deformity, dwarfism, underdevelopment of the gonads and mental retardation are observed in those infants who did not receive thyroid-stimulating hormones from the mother even in the early stages of her pregnancy. But most often in the first weeks of a child’s life, hypothyroidism does not manifest itself in any way.
Large birth weight, especially when the baby weighs more than 4 kilograms, swelling of the eyelids, tongue and face, as well as heavy breathing and rough crying – all these symptoms give doctors the opportunity to suspect hypothyroidism even before the result of hormone screening comes.
In some newborns, a long healing of the umbilical wound can be observed, as well as prolonged jaundice and a weak sucking reflex. Sometimes a child develops an umbilical hernia.
General lethargy, drowsiness and muscle weakness begin to appear later, when the child gets a little older. Moreover, the symptoms will not be too pronounced, provided that the baby is breastfed.
Lagging in height and weight, as well as late healing of the fontanel, delay in the timing of teething – all this should alert the pediatrician for the development of hypothyroidism.
Almost always, children with this disease do not begin to hold their heads, sit, stand and roll over for a long time, that is, there is an unformed skill.
Bradypsychia is a clear sign of hypothyroidism. This symptom is expressed in the fact that the child’s emotions are scarce and uncolored. He practically does not show interest in the world around him: there is no cooing, pronunciation of syllables and subsequently words. In the later stages of the child’s development, he does not play on his own, becomes closed and does not make contact.
Damage to the heart muscle, the development of anemia, frequent constipation, pallor of the skin and low body temperature are all signs of hypothyroidism in children who have come out of infancy.
Decreased immunity.
As for adolescent children, their hypothyroidism is manifested by the following symptoms:
Significant weight gain, up to obesity.
Skeletal growth retardation.
Late puberty.
Sudden mood swings, pronounced negative reactions.
Decreased school performance as a result of slow thinking and attention.
Hoarse voice.
Rare pulse.
Hair loss and dry skin.
Since hypothyroidism leads to quite serious problems, its timely diagnosis and competent treatment are necessary.
Congenital hypothyroidism in children
Congenital hypothyroidism in children is a decrease in thyroid function and, as a result, insufficient production of thyroid-stimulating hormone in newborns. Girls are more often affected than boys.
Congenital hypothyroidism does not occur on its own; a number of reasons lead to this condition:
If the maturation of the thyroid gland is disturbed, its growth and development at the stage when the fetus is in the womb, then we can talk about hereditary causes that led to the development of hypothyroidism.
It happens that there is a lack of susceptibility to iodine of the thyroid gland itself, it happens that the “transportation” of substances necessary for the production of hormones is disrupted. All this will inevitably lead to hypothyroidism.
There are even more severe endocrine diseases, they are associated with damage to a certain area in the brain responsible for regulating hormone production (the hypothalamus).
Resistance to thyroid hormones can also manifest itself and, against this background, hypothyroidism can develop. Not all children suffer from such problems, but only those whose mother took antithyroid drugs. This refers to the time when the woman was carrying the fetus.
It makes no sense to consider the symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism, since they are absolutely similar to any other signs of the disease. But parents, having heard such a diagnosis, should not panic, doctors are obliged to explain to them that if they immediately start therapy, the treatment will be very effective. At the same time, nothing will threaten the life and health of the crumbs. The most commonly prescribed drugs are levothyroxine sodium. The effect will be noticeable after a week of adequate therapy in reasonable doses.
At the same time, a child with congenital hypothyroidism should be observed not only by a pediatrician, but also by a neuropathologist and an endocrinologist. Delays in both mental and physical development can only be avoided through the combined efforts of all physicians and systematic monitoring of the little patient.
Subclinical hypothyroidism in children
Subclinical hypothyroidism in children is observed when the level of TSH prevails, while T4 remains normal. Like all other varieties of this disease, subclinical hypothyroidism occurs more often in girls. At the same time, in childhood, it responds well to treatment.
As a cause of subclinical hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis can be distinguished, when the cells of the thyroid gland are destroyed.
If subclinical hypothyroidism is detected in a timely manner, then after treatment, it will no longer require any therapy. As symptoms, the following are revealed: low body temperature, refusal of the breast, dry skin, swelling of the face and eyelids. This applies to newborns and infants.
But quite often subclinical hypothyroidism is observed in older children. It can cause problems with bone growth and brain activity. Often there is a decrease in vision. As with any other type of hypothyroidism, thyroid hormones are prescribed for the subclinical variety. In this case, the dose must be calculated individually. It is not worth starting the disease, since at the later stages of progression, it can significantly reduce the standard of living of the child and lead to tangible problems in his development.