$Unique_ID{PAR00168}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Thyroid Disorders}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Thyroid Disorder Disorders Underactive thyroid sleepiness nursing
Choking constipation Noisy breathing Retarded growth Protruding tongue Hoarse
cry Thick dry skin Goiter Overactive thyroid Irritability Restlessness
Behavior problems Hand tremors Increased appetite no weight gain sweating
Protruding eyeballs thyroid malfunction neck cyst Adam's apple hormones
temperature energy growth fertility hypothyroidism hyperthyroidism congenital
mental development abnormalities physical developmental abnormality pituitary
hormone radioactive iodine tumor tumors synthetic thyroxine}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Thyroid Disorders


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     Underactive thyroid:
     - Excessive sleepiness
     - Choking while nursing
     - Severe constipation
     - Noisy breathing
     - Retarded growth
     - Protruding tongue
     - Hoarse cry
     - Thick, dry skin
     - Goiter (in some cases)

     Overactive thyroid:
     - Irritability
     - Restlessness
     - Behavior problems
     - Hand tremors
     - Increased appetite without weight gain
     - Excessive sweating
     - Protruding eyeballs
     - Goiter (in some cases)

     HOME CARE
     - Take your child for regular checkups.
     - Be aware of signs that might indicate thyroid malfunction.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Some symptoms of underactive thyroid may appear in older children whose
       thyroid is normal.  Only a doctor can diagnose thyroid malfunction.
     - A cyst on the neck should be seen by a doctor.  It could be an
       abnormally positioned thyroid gland.


     The thyroid gland is located in the neck just below the Adam's apple.  It
produces hormones that control the body's temperature, energy production,
growth, and fertility.  The thyroid gland may become underactive (resulting in
hypothyroidism) or overactive (resulting in hyperthyroidism).  Either
condition can occur in infancy or at any age thereafter.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Hypothyroidism.

     When the thyroid is underactive at birth, it is not usually apparent for
a few weeks, when it causes excessive sleepiness, choking while nursing,
severe constipation, and noisy breathing.  After three to six months, it is
obvious that the child's growth rate is retarded.  In addition, the child has
a protruding tongue; thick, dry skin; and a hoarse cry.  When the thyroid
becomes underactive later in childhood, it slows growth and causes
constipation, sleepiness, and thick, dry skin.  An underactive thyroid may or
may not be associated with goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland).

     Hyperthyroidism.

     Overactive thyroid usually develops between the ages of ten and 15.
Sometimes, however, it may occur in children as young as one or two.  An
overactive thyroid causes irritability, restlessness, behavior problems,
tremors of the hands, increased appetite without weight gain, excessive
sweating, and protruding eyeballs.  Overactive thyroid is sometimes
accompanied by goiter.
     Because all symptoms of overactive and underactive thyroid can result
from other conditions not related to the thyroid, laboratory tests are
essential to the diagnosis.  Newborn infants are routinely tested for
congenital hypothyroidism (a disorder of the thyroid gland that causes
abnormalities of mental and physical development) before leaving the hospital.

HOME CARE

     Home care involves taking your child to the doctor for routine checkups
and watching for the symptoms of thyroid malfunction.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Symptoms of underactive thyroid may occur in older children, especially
     adolescents, who have normal thyroid function.  Only your doctor can
     determine if the thyroid is malfunctioning.
  -  A cyst on the neck should be seen by a doctor.  It could be an abnormally
     positioned thyroid gland.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your doctor will establish the diagnosis on the basis of a physical
examination, including measurement of the child's blood pressure, and
laboratory tests that measure the levels of thyroid and pituitary hormones in
the blood.  The doctor may also order a test to determine how well the thyroid
absorbs radioactive iodine; this test is used to evaluate function and to look
for tumors of the thyroid.
     Treatment of an underactive thyroid usually involves prescribing
synthetic thyroxine (a thyroid hormone) for the child to take by mouth.
Treatment of an overactive thyroid involves either medication or surgical
removal of part of the thyroid gland.

RELATED TOPIC:  Goiter