Comprehensive Thyroid Care from the Newborn Age

Understanding Thyroid Hormone Levels and Conditions such as Hashimoto’s, Hyperthyroidism, Thyroid Nodules

fetus thyroid hormone pregnancy

A baby’s thyroid gland starts to form early in the first trimester!

A fetus relies on the mother’s thyroid hormone through the placenta until the last part of the third trimester

Pregnant mothers must maintain normal thyroid hormone levels for their child's IQ.

newborn thyroid hypothyroidism newborn screen

Fortunately, screening for low thyroid hormone levels is part of all state newborn screens

If thyroid hormone levels are low, treatment usually starts a few days after birth for best results.

Regular blood tests help adjust the medication dose as needed.

Babies born to mother with Graves disease also need very close monitoring of their blood levels and symptoms in the first few months of life.

child growth height tall short

Thyroid hormone is critical for

  • brain and neurodevelopment (specially in the first 2-3 years of life)

  • growth (specially height)

  • normal milestones

  • metabolism

  • temperature regulation

Thyroid hormone levels are routinely checked whenever there are concerns for

  • short height

  • delayed growth spurts

  • abnormal neurodevelopment

  • severe unexplained constipation

  • failure to thrive

goiter thyroid hashimotos graves nodule autoimmune hashi's thyroiditis testing

An enlarged thyroid, or goiter can signify either hypothyroidism (such as in Hashimoto’s) or hyperthyroidism (for example Graves disease)

It is important to determine the underlying cause and check for nodules within the thyroid gland

Labs and imaging will help differentiate between various thyroid disorders

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