My Daughter's TSH Level

[Taryn2]

I have a 2 year old daughter that weighs 46.5 pounds and is 39.5" tall, her pediatrician sent her to see a specialist about possible diabetes and/or thyroid conditions.  I recently had her blood work done and her TSH Level was elevated at 4.87?  The specialist said she is fine and that she just needs to see a nutritionist, can you please give me some kind of advice????
Thank you,
Taryn2

[Barb135]

Did you have tests, other than TSH for thyroid?  TSH is a pituitary hormone and is not a reliable diagnostic for thyroid issues, as it can fluctuate greatly; it's an "indicator" at best.  You should also have Free T3 and Free T4, which are the actual thyroid hormones that are available for use by the cells, with Free T3 being the active hormone, while Free T4 must be converted to Free T3.  

You should also have her tested for thyroid antibodies: Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab), Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGab) and Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI).  TPOab and TGab will confirm Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and TSI will confirm Graves Disease; both of these are autoimmune diseases, in which the body sees the thyroid as "foreign" and produces antibodies to attack it. Both will eventually "kill" the thyroid, but with good medical care, are manageable.  

Hashimoto's is most often associated with hypothyroidism, while Graves Disease is most often associated with hyperthyroidism; however, symptoms often "overlap" and those with Hashi's can also be hyper sometimes.

A thyroid ultrasound would also be a good idea to check for nodules on the thyroid, or confirm a goiter (enlarged/inflamed thyroid).

If you've had any of these tests done, please post the results, along with the reference ranges from the lab report.  Reference ranges vary from lab to lab, so must come from her own report.  This information will help members comment more fully on her particular situation.

[stella5349]

absolutely. - But please - you need to retest here and make sure you are having the Free T3 and Free T4 tests done.

Her weight is too high for her and that is very hard for kids to have on. My advice would be to practice a thyroid diets NOW - even with nothing known b/c thyroid disease can sometime not pop up on a lab correctly ( or read incorrectly) and she will suffer.

Please email magpieannie for further pediatric thyroid information.