Congenital hypothyroidism: symptoms, causes, treatment • hello healthy

Definition

What is congenital hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is a condition of low thyroid hormone in the body, whereas congenital means a disease from birth or congenital. Previously, you should know that the thyroid gland is an important part of the body.

The thyroid gland is butterfly shaped and is located in the lower neck. The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones.

The thyroid hormone is responsible for regulating growth, brain development and metabolism. Congenital hypothyroidism in babies indicates that the body is deficient in thyroid hormone.

As a result, congenital hypothyroidism in infants can inhibit growth, interfere with the respiratory system, the work of the heart organ, and the work of the nervous system.

Not only that, the body's function in regulating temperature, muscle strength, skin health, body weight, cholesterol levels, and brain development are also impaired.

How common is congenital hypothyroidism?

Congenital hypothyroidism is an extremely rare condition. According to the US National Library of Medicine, this condition can affect 1 in 2,000 to 4,000 newborns.

However, this hypothyroid disease occurs twice as much in female babies as in male babies.

Signs & Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism?

Symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism that often appear in infants are yellowish skin and eyes, long sleep time, decreased appetite, dry skin, and constipation.

In addition, the baby may appear lethargic and choke easily due to this condition. While the symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism in children are not much different.

Children with this condition may experience symptoms in the form of a bulging stomach and cold, freckled skin. You can also observe the child's face and see something strange.

This is because the distance between the right and left eyes seems too wide or the area between the child's eyebrows (above the nose) looks very large.

On the other hand, other signs and symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism that will appear as a child grows include:

• The face is swollen, looks fat, or is swollen
• Bulging or bulging navel
• Not fussy (rarely cry) and blank stares
• Stunted growth (the child's body is very short)
• A head that is larger than normal
• Limp, like not having power
• Weak muscles
• Slow reflex
• Too late to learn to sit and learn to stand
• The voice sounded harsh and late speaking
• The development of the sexual organs is hampered or does not occur at all
• The mouth is often open due to the large size of the tongue
• Swelling of the eyelids, back of the hand, or genital area
• The pulse feels slow and the heart rate is weak

When a newborn has a deficiency in thyroid hormone, it can cause problems in the development of the child's body and brain.

Take for example a child's short body, experience delays in walking, late speaking, or even disturbances in thinking.

Mental retardation and low intelligence such as low IQ in children can also occur due to thyroid hormone deficiency from birth.

When to see a doctor?

If you see your little one has the above signs or other questions related to congenital hypothyroidism, please consult your doctor.

The health condition of each person is different, including children. Always consult a doctor in order to get the best treatment regarding children's health conditions.

Cause

What are the causes of congenital hypothyroidism?

Congenital hypothyroidism in infants occurs when the thyroid gland cannot develop or function properly.

Take for example because the position of the thyroid gland is not normal, the thyroid gland is underdeveloped, and the thyroid gland is missing.

Basically, this congenital disorder can be caused by various things.

The main cause is due to the condition of the mother who was pregnant before and during pregnancy had hyperthyroidism.

It is among the most common causes of congenital hypothyroidism due to a lack of iodine in the diet of mothers and babies. In fact, iodine intake is very important in the process of thyroid hormone production.

Hyperthyroidism in pregnant women can affect the thyroid condition in the baby after birth.

The reason is that mothers with hyperthyroidism, during pregnancy and before pregnancy, will often take anti-thyroid drugs.

This is what causes the production of the baby's thyroid condition to be suppressed due to the drugs consumed by the mother.

Genetics or heredity from parent to child is also one of the causes of congenital hypothyroidism in infants.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What tests can be done to diagnose this condition?

The diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism cannot be made while the baby is still in the womb.

This is because while in the womb, the baby's thyroid hormones still get help from the mother's hormones.

This condition can only be detected when the baby is born by congenital hypothyroid screening. The examination is carried out 48-72 hours after birth or the equivalent when the baby is 2-3 days old.

According to the recommendation of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) in 2012, screening for congenital hypothyroidism is performed on all newborns by:

1. Take a capillary blood sample from the lateral surface of the baby's foot or the medial part of the heel on days 2 to 4 after birth.
2. The capillary blood is dripped onto a special filter paper.
3. The filter paper is sent to a laboratory that has a thyroid hormone testing facility.

Initially screening is done by testing the levels of a thyroid hormone called thyroxine.

If the results obtained are below normal levels, then the test is carried out thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH.

If the results of the congenital hypothyroid examination in the baby are abnormal, usually a confirmation test will be performed again.

A confirmatory test will check TSH and several other things needed to determine the baby's health condition.

Subsequent treatment for infants depends on the results of screening for congenital hypothyroidism.

Sometimes doctors may recommend other examinations such as an ultrasound (USG) or thyroid examination to find out more about your little one's health condition.

What are the treatment options for congenital hypothyroidism?

If a pregnant woman has hypothyroidism since before becoming pregnant, the doctor will usually give you thyroid medication that can help the mother's body produce enough thyroid hormone.

This drug is safe for pregnancy conditions. Thyroid medication during pregnancy is also useful for preventing babies born with congenital hypothyroidism.

Meanwhile, babies born with congenital hypothyroidism will be given treatment in the form of thyroid in liquid or tablet form. This thyroid medication is recommended to be taken once a day.

You don't need to worry even if you miss a dose every now and then because it won't cause immediate problems.

The key is to routinely give medication to treat congenital hypothyroidism in infants and children to keep thyroxine levels in their blood stable.

Doctors usually will routinely perform blood tests in the first few years to check thyroxine levels.

After a child is two years of age to three years of age, the frequency of routine blood tests is usually less, which is determined according to their growth and development.

The habit of taking congenital hypothyroid medication must be carried out routinely throughout the child's life.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.