hypothyroidism

My son Taylor was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 6 weeks of age.Taylor`s thyriod gland was deformed at birth, he has been taking synthroid .05mg since then, his physical developmant has been very slow to start although he has progressed well within the last couple of months . He is now 18 months old and is not yet speaking. The only word he says is Mom. Can you tell me does this go with the hypothyroidism and can you also tell me what to expect in later years?

[HVM M.D.- EV]

Dear Kim-
   Thank you for your question.  I'm sorry I haven't answered you sooner - but I had been away last week.
   With regard to your son - it is always very hard, if not impossible, to sort out what may be his normal developmental pattern versus how his hypothyroidism is effecting his development.  It is true that because he has hypothyoidism he is at risk for developmental delay - both in his growth and his intellectual development.  But knowing that your son was diagnosed early and has been maintained on replacement hormone since then - his prognosis should be good.  As I understand it - his linear growth should probably be normal.  Unfortunately, his mental development may be harder to predict. The fact that he speaks only one word at 18 months may indicate a delay in speech development - but again, there is such a spectrum for normal that I cannot give you precise information. It is true that if he is speech delayed - this could reflect his condition. What I would recommend is that you share your concerns with your son's doctor.  Also - 'tho I am sure you have already done so - I would have your son see a pediatric endocrinologist whose expertise in this field can help you.  In the end - there still may be NO precise answers about your son's development.  And, of course, this can be hard.  Regardless - a thorough evaluation by his doctor - and by a specialist - even a speech and language evaluation - is what I would recommend. Yes - his speech may reflect his hypothyroidism - but maybe not.  For the future - again - continued medication with close follow-up would be my recommendation.   Good luck  - Dr. EV.

[Marty]

Our 9-year old son was diagnosed with congential hypothyroidism at 2 weeks of age. We started synthroid at 3 weeks of age and yet our son is severly developmentally delayed, non-verbal and has fine motor issues. We were told that he would most likely develop "typically" because we caught it early, and we were never warned that our son could be so developmentally disabled. This is not to say that ALL kids with hypothryroidism will have severe developmental issues, but I wanted to share my story with you. Think positively, but keep on top of it and NEVER miss a dose of synthroid and maintain a solid relationship with your pediatric endocrinologist.