If your child sleeps excessively, it might be a sign of low energy caused by hypothyroidism, a disease in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Hypothyroidism in your infant requires medical treatment. Because of the effect on development, thyroid function is a routine screening for infants.
Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is situated in the neck and is shaped like a butterfly wrapping around your windpipe. Hormones produced by your thyroid gland are necessary for the use of energy stores and gene expression. Your child's rapid development is fueled by fat stores mobilized by thyroid hormones. The genetic program driving development requires a large deal of energy. Your child's cells might sense that food is not plentiful because of a thyroid hormone shortage and delay growth.
Hypothyroidism Causes
According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, hypothyroidism in an infant is caused by faulty development of the thyroid or pituitary gland, or a genetic deficit in enzymes, which are proteins that perform chemical reactions. Hypothyroidism occurs twice as often in baby girls as baby boys. Inherited hypothyroidism is permanent and will require lifelong treatment with synthetic thyroid hormones.
Diagnosis
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, a blood test to check thyroid function will be performed on your infant within a few days of birth. However, it is possible that this test will fail to detect hypothyroidism. A child with hypothyroidism might have a puffy face, dull look or a thick, protruding tongue. Your child can be persistently sleepy and sluggish, feeding poorly, and might have poor muscle tone, or floppiness.
Treatment
Hypothyroidism can be treated with artificial thyroid hormones: sodium levothyroxine or L-thyroxine. Thyroid hormones are easily given to your child by crushing them in liquid or mixing them with solid food. Infants with congenital hypothyroidism, when detected within the first month of life, develop normally. Untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to severe physical and mental retardation because critical development of the brain occurs within the first few months.
