The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulates the metabolism and its proper functioning is crucial to a child’s development. Decreased production of thyroid hormones is hypothyroidism, with symptoms like fatigue, weakness, weight gain, depression, irritability. If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to serious problems in a child’s physical and mental development. The treatment includes replacing the missing thyroid hormone, thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism is the excessive production of thyroid hormones, with symptoms including fast heart-rate, protruding eyes, nervousness, insomnia, breathlessness and weight loss. The treatment includes drugs, radioactive iodine or thyroid-removal.
Congenital Hypothyroidism
Congenital hypothyroidism is present from birth, and there are various possible causes. One can be thyroid system’s failure to develop correctly or to descend fully into its proper place, or its underdevelopment.
Transient Congenital Hypothyroidism
The cause of this temporary form of hypothyroidism is usually the mother’s treatment for thyroid disease during pregnancy. Since it’s impossible to distinguish between transient and true hypothyroidism, these infants are treated until the diagnostic tests show that the hypothyroidism is transient and the treatment can be discontinued.
Hashimoto’s Disease
Hashimoto disease affects as many as 1.2 percent of school-aged children, it is more prevalent in girls, but it is rare in children under 4 years, according to the California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA. It is an autoimmune, inflammatory process, meaning that the immune system mistakenly produces antibodies against the thyroid gland and attacks it, leading to its inflammation. This causes the thyroid’s tissue to gradually decay, leading to hypothyroidism, when the gland is unable to make the necessary amount of thyroid hormones.
Transient Neonatal Hyperthyroidism
The cause of this temporary hyperthyroidism is transfer of thyroid-stimulating antibodies through placenta from the mother to the baby during pregnancy; These antibodies stimulate infant’s thyroid to produce more hormones, and they can develop congestive heart failure with respiratory distress. Once the maternal antibodies clear out of the infant’s body, the baby no longer suffers from the disease.
Grave’s Disease
In Grave’s disease, which most commonly occurs in adolescents, an unusually enlarged thyroid gland produces excessive amounts of hormones. It is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in children, according to the California Pacific Medical Center. It is an autoimmune disease, caused by the antibodies that attach to the receptors on the thyroid gland and stimulate excessive hormone production.
Goiter
Goiter is enlargement of the thyroid gland. It can be caused by insufficient iodine in the diet. But a more common cause is an increase in hormone that stimulates the thyroid in response to hypothyroidism, what can happen in congenital and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.
Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer can grow out of thyroid nodules--lumps--that commonly arise within an otherwise normal thyroid gland. The cause is not always known, but it can be exposure to high levels of radiation during treatment against previous cancer. The most common is papillary cancer, but also follicular and medullary carcinomas, and the latter can be inherited.
References
- Endocrine Web: Your Thyroid Gland
- California Pacific Medical Center: Thyroid Disorders in Children: A Brief Synopsis, January 2005
- The Magic Foundation: Congenital Hypothyroidism - General Information. Contributing medical specialists: Deborah Rotenstein, M.D., Thomas P. Foley, Jr., M.D., Updated on March 24, 2010
- Pediatric Care Online: “AAP Textbook of Pediatric Care”: Thyroid Disease, Aaron L. Zuckerberg, M.D., Lynne G. Maxwell, M.D., Last updated: August 26, 2008
