Congenital Hypothyroidism

[Marty]

Our nearly 10-year old son was dx with cong.hypothyroidism at birth and although replacement therapy was begun immediately,he is severely developmentally disabled, non-verbal and has motor issues. All other common dx have been ruled out. Is there a specific area of the brain/cns that is effected by hypothyroidism or is the damage random? Is the brain effected only during pregnancy or does it continue?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Marty,

As you already know, hypothyroidism prior to age three can result in mental retardation, though some aspects of growth/development can be less affected. It would be wise to seek the guidance of a pediatric endocrinologist to pursue your questions about specific brain regions that might be involved. It's outside my field of expertise.

[Marty]

Thanks for the reply. We have had a pediatric endocrinologist since our son was 2 weeks old and he has no answers for us either.

[Cindy Del Sorbo]

I have a daughter named Natasha that was diagnosed with CH at birth.  She was given synthroid at only eight days old.  She has been doing well in the past.  Recently, since she turned eight years old, she has been experiencing stomach pain and nausea to include constipation.  Her appetite has decreased and she hasn't gained any weight in the last seven months.  She has been more tired lately and feeling sluggish.  Any words of advice from someone experiencing the same thing?  Thanks.

[Edward Brewster]

Dear Cindy,
I believe that your daughter may not be receiving the correct dosage of whatever medication she has been prescribed.  I know this, as I suffer from CH, and am now sufficiently experienced to spot the cardinal signs of an incorrect dosage.  Whenever my dosage is too low, I become sluggish and suffer from a loss of appetite, as your daughter has.  My doctor always asks me about my appetite and if I feel sluggish when I visit him.  
However, my advice is no substitute for seeing a fully qualified paediatrician (please excuse the different spelling, I am English).
I was diagnosed with CH soon after birth, thanks to my being jaundiced, alerting my doctors to something not being well.  I was tested using the heel-***** test, in which a small sample of blood was taken from my heel every day.  I was given thyroxin from that point on, and now live a perfectly normal life.  I am hoping to go to University in September of this year.
I hope my words have helped.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Brewster.

[Renee]

My 2 1/2 year old daughter has been taking levothyroxine since 10 days old and appears healthy (physically and mentally).  However, she is very tall for her age.  I am 5'10" and expect her to be tall, but could over dosage cause her to be taller than normal?

[Morag Seymour]

My grandson, now 16 months old, has been diagnosed as being hypothroid.  He is currently on 50mcg Oroxine Tabs - 1/2 a tablet daily.  He has had all the tests.  Recently he was given a trial period off the Oroxine but a further test indicated the need for him to be placed back on the Oroxine.

My grandson shows none of the symptoms - no puffiness, no thick, protruding tongue, no slowness of thought or action.  He is active, curious, is able to put jigsaw pieces in the right places, put shapes in the correct holes, stack cups up, take cassettes out of cassette player - and so much more.  He has good motor skill development - is walking, climbing stairs, can climb on and off his push-along bike, etc.  He is saying words such as up, down, sit, here, that, dog, cat, Mum, Dad, Nanna, bottle, ball - clearly.  He likes playing games such as hide and seek, chasing, throwing and catching his ball, playing on the swing and slippery slide.  He does not have constipation, sleeps well - but not over much.  He has a good appetite when he is not teething.  His weight is normal, he does not have short, thick hands and/or fingers.  He is taller than the average 16 month old child.  The only symptom that he has had was prolonged jaundice when he was first born.

My question is this:  is there any other reason that his thyroid function tests could be low?  What is his prognosis?

[geri]

I don't know what congenital hypothyroidism is, however, I looked at this site because my 12 year old daughter has been dx as developmentally delayed, borderline mentally retarded, IQ 78.  She has been tested 4 times with very conflicting results.  

I have literally driven myself crazy wondering if I had done anything that could have been a cause for her to be impaired in this way.

Recently, I saw a small news item in the newspaper to the effect that mothers who are hypothyroid, taking synthroid during pregnancy, have an abnormally high incidence of children with IQ's under 85.  I need some help.