Hypothyriod Baby

  Sir
  I gave birth to a baby boy 5 days ago. Today he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.  My doctor prescribed 0.025 mg eltroxin per day and we began treatment immediately.  I have had hyperthyroidism during my pregnancy and I am still suffering from the condition - I am using 1 mg eltroxin and 100mg propyl thyoracil per day.
  
  In this regard I have two questions:
   1. I have heard that if hypothyroidism is not diagnosed early in babies it can cause retardation.  How soon(in days) should treatment be started to avoid the risk of retardation.  Was five days as in my babies case early enough?
   2. Can I continue breastfeeding my baby while using the above mentioned medication?
  I would greatly appreciate your reply as soon as possible.
  Regards
  Adrie P

[HFHS.RN-TAO]

Typically diagnosis and treatment within the first few weeks of life results in normal growth and development for the infant. Recommended management for children with hypothyroidism is close follow up with a pediatric endocrinologist, testing of the thyroid levels every month for the first 6 months , every other month between 6 to 12 months and then every 3 months there after. Some health care provider will recommend that bone age needs to be determined and the start of therapy and at 1 year of life also developmental screening at 3 and 6 months of age. Regarding your medication propyl thyoracil and eltroxin both do show up in breast milk but in very small amounts so it should be ok for you to breast feed as long as your son if having adequate blood level monitoring..

This material if provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a formal medical evaluation. If you have specific questions, please contact your primary care provider.
hfhs.rn-tao
Keywords: hypothyroidism