Hypothyroidism

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HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 32: Cognitive Delay > Hypothyroidism

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Hypothyroidism is a delay in both mental and physical growth that comes when a child’s body does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This is a substance that controls a child’s growth and body functions. Without it, everything goes slower.

goiter

Thyroid is produced by a gland in the front of the neck. To produce thyroid, the gland needs iodine. Most people get enough iodine from water and food. But in some areas, especially in the mountains, the soil, water, and food have very little iodine. In an attempt to obtain more iodine, the thyroid gland sometimes grows very large, forming a swelling called a goiter.

In areas where there is little iodine and a lot of people have goiters, hypothyroidism is common. In these areas, many children have difficulty hearing or have cognitive delays. Although they do not show all the typical signs of hypothyroidism, the cause is probably the same. Occasionally, in areas where goiter is not common, hypothyroidism occurs for other reasons than lack of iodine.

SIGNS Below we show some of the typical signs of hypothyroidism and compare them with Down syndrome, which hypothyroidism resembles in some ways. It is often difficult to tell if a newborn baby has hypothyroidism. She is often born large and then does not grow in the usual way. The baby may have feeding difficulties, or breathing difficulties or make noises because of having a large tongue. She moves and cries little. By 3 to 6 months the mother often becomes worried because the baby takes so little interest in things, sleeps so much, and is delayed in all areas of development.

Signs of HYPOTHYROIDISM Signs seen in both HYPOTHYROIDISM and DOWN SYNDROME Signs of DOWN SYNDROME (that are most useful in telling it from hypothyroidism) hair low on forehead puffy eyelids fatty swelling of neck flat base of nose between eyes puffy face, hands, and feet grows very slowly; increasingly short for age severe constipation (may go days without shitting) often hearing loss As child grows, knees may get large and painful. temperature below normal thick, dry, cool skin delayed mental and physical development widely separate eyes round face, dull look tongue sticks out of open mouth short neck and limbs; wide, short hands big belly and sway back often hernia of the navel hair starts high on forehead slant eyes with lid fold over inner corners See other signs. WHAT TO DO Early and continued treatment with thyroid medicine helps improve growth, physical appearance, and sometimes can reduce or prevent cognitive delay. For best results, treatment should begin during the first month of life. As soon as you suspect that a baby might have hypothyroidism, get skilled medical advice. To help the child develop mentally and physically, and learn basic skills, read Chapters 34 to 41 and use the ideas that can help meet the child’s needs. With early treatment and guided learning, many children with hypothyroidism can learn to care for themselves and do simple but important work in the community. See ideas on managing constipation. PREVENTION In areas where goiter is common, hypothyroidism (and hearing loss) can be greatly reduced by encouraging everyone to use iodized salt. This page was updated:04 Apr 2024