The thyroid is a gland that sits at the front of your neck just above the top of your breastbone. It produces hormones that help control your body's growth patterns and energy usage. Children may develop thyroid problems if their gland produces too few or too many of these hormones. Thyroid symptoms vary with the type of problem present.
Thyroid Basics
Your main thyroid hormones are triiodothyronine---or T3---and thyroxine, or T4, according to the Nemours Foundation. Every cell in your body reacts to T3 and T4, adjusting its level of activity to match the levels of these hormones. Your thyroid's hormone output is controlled by your pituitary gland and an area of your brain called the hypothalamus, Thyroid Today reports. Your pituitary achieves its thyroid-related effects by releasing a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, which tells your thyroid when to produce more hormones.
Overactive Thyroid Symptoms
If your child produces too many thyroid hormones, she may develop a condition called hyperthyroidism, Children's Hospital Boston reports. Signs of hyperthyroidism in children include trembling hands, rapid heartbeat, sleeping difficulties, sweating and appetite increases accompanied by weight loss or lack or weight gain. Your child may also develop a type of prolonged stare that gives her the appearance of being constantly scared. In some cases, children with hyperthyroidism also develop eyes that bulge abnormally from their sockets. If your child develops hyperthyroidism as a infant, she may develop later childhood symptoms that include slowed growth, mental retardation, hyperactivity and a premature closing of her skull bones.
Underactive Thyroid Symptoms
If your child produces too few thyroid hormones, she may develop a condition called hypothyroidism, according to Children's Hospital Boston. Potential signs of hypothyroidism in newborns include constipation, navel protrusion, lack of appetite, slow bone growth, hoarse crying and a yellowing of the skin, mucous membranes or eye whites called jaundice. Signs of hypothyroidism in young children may include delays in tooth formation, slowed growth and unusually short limbs. Signs of hypothyroidism in teenagers may include dry skin, slow speech, slowed growth, delayed puberty, hair loss, slowed pulse, weight gain, facial puffiness and drooping eyelids.
Goiter and Nodules
Thyroid underactivity or overactivity in children can also produce a swelling or enlargement of the thyroid gland known as a goiter, the Nemours Foundation reports. Thyroid problems in your child may also produce a lump on her thyroid gland called a nodule.If a goiter presses on your child's windpipe, it can produce significant breathing difficulties, Children's Hospital Boston notes.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Your child's doctor can diagnose a thyroid disorder in several ways, according to Thyroid Today. Examples of diagnostic procedures include testing of TSH levels, reviewing your child's family history and checking for the presence of a goiter. Potential treatments for an overactive thyroid include medications, administration or radioactive iodine and surgery to remove part of the thyroid gland. Treatment for an underactive thyroid typically requires the use of thyroid replacement medications. This treatment typically lasts for life, although your child's level of required medication will usually drop with age.
